Should Hopkins Ban Airsoft Guns in Public?

On Tuesday, the Star Tribune reported that Hopkins is in the process of drafting an ordinance that would ban Airsoft guns in public.

Officers told the newspaper that it can be hard to distinguish real guns from Airsoft guns, which are powered with compressed air and shoot plastic pellets. Police have pulled guns on residents with Airsoft guns and worry that either they will shoot someone with an Airsoft gun—or an officer will be shot after mistaking a real gun for an Airsoft gun.

"We have to get people to realize how close they came to a tragic situation," (Police Sgt. Michael) Glassberg told the Star Tribune. "These decisions are made in split seconds."

Patch wants to know what you think. Does Hopkins need an ordinance banning Airsoft guns in public? What role do parents have to play in ensuring their children use Airsoft guns safely?

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