Article updated on October 30, 2017
Is that a toy gun? Is it a real gun? How much time might you have to make that life-and-death determination?
There are bad guys painting their guns in neon colors to deceive civilians and police officers alike. They’re painting the tips of their barrels orange. They’re turning supersoakers into shotguns. Unlike police officers, they recognize no rules, and consequently when an officer encounters an individual with what appears to be a weapon, he or she must rely on training and trigger control to preserve a life – or end one.
Halloween perspectives
This brings us to Halloween. No matter what night (or day) it is, the totality of the circumstances ultimately dictates what you as an officer will do when you encounter what may be a harmless child with a toy or what may be a dangerous suspect bent on taking the life of a cop.
- Is the subject complying with your commands?
- Is the subject a child with a parent (or other kids)?
- Is the scene full of criminal activity or candy corns?
On Halloween people of all ages dress up. Some people decide to wear costumes that have replica (or toy) weapons – so we asked our followers on social media about their take on toy guns as part of a Halloween costume.
Here is a sampling of their answers:
- Rosario Hinojosa: No! Seeing as we have to dispatch as “subject with a gun,” it gets pretty nerve wracking! Same for big knives!
- Byron Paisley: It’s OK. I always had toy guns as a kid.
- Linda Crowder Manous: Not any more. It used to be OK but we’re past that time in our lives. Even if it were a weird color, there are now real weapons with weird colors. It’s just too dangerous.
- Bob Vollmer: Cut it out everyone. It’s a COSTUME. Nothing more. He’s not going to grow up killing people as a result. We used to play cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians all the time. We turned out just fine. As long as the parents teach the child how to use guns responsibly, no problem.
- Ryan Mabry: Little kids, OK. Adults on the other hand, I would have to say no.
Two talking heads
We received 100 replies to that Facebook question, and it seemed to be really evenly split between “yay” and “nay” votes.These same opposing views are captured in two YouTube videos produced — in a clever public relations campaign — by CostumeSuperCenter.com, a company that makes and sells Halloween costumes.
Christine Hoskins-Tardibone, Ph.D., N.C.C — School Counselor, Auburn High School and Adjunct Professor, Syracuse University
Kathryn Snyder, ATR-BC, LPC — Registered Art Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor and Director, Parent to Child
Like the opposing sides in the debate on real guns, I suspect these two women will never see eye-to-eye on this issue. On the one hand, some believe that toy guns “contribute to a culture of violence.” On the other hand, some believe there is nothing wrong with children engaging in an imaginative “game of cops and robbers.”
What about your house?
Do you have kids? Do they have toy guns? I have a son, and he has his own Blue Gun with which (and with me) he practices clearing my house.
He knows the rules. He knows it’s not a toy, but a teaching tool (which never leaves the house).
Admittedly, Lyndon Baines Johnson occupied the White House when I was born, but even back when the Red Ryder BB gun was nearly ubiquitous, my toy guns were painstakingly hand-made by yours truly.It would take days for me to transform a solid hunk of wood with nothing but my sweat, my saw and a lot of sandpaper.
I was 10 years old when I got a replica musket during visit to Disneyworld, and I think I owned it a total of 10 days. When we boarded the airplane home from vacation, Eastern Airlines decided they wanted to keep my prized possession. Soon thereafter, though, I was taught firearms safety and was given the opportunity to shoot a fully-operational weapon. Now I’m a Lifetime Member of the NRA.
I offer no advice here on the right thing to do, but I do think this question merits contemplation. Add your voice to the discussion in the comments area below, and stay safe this Halloween.
...Oh yeah, and if ever there’s a night to slow down behind the wheel, this is the one.
