Law enforcement fears new gun design
Photo by AP Photo/Keith Srakocic
(Washington, D.C.) — A new type of firearm under development has caught the attention of US Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.
A Minnesota-based company called Ideal Conceal is developing a .380-caliber handgun made to look just like a smartphone.
Casey says this type of product shouldn’t go past the prototype stage.
“I don’t often take the time to focus on the product of a company, but in this case I believe this particular weapon is a weapon that should not get to market,” he said.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross says officers have to make split-second decisions in determing whether someone displays a weapon.
“Sometimes there have been issues even involving folks mistakenly carrying a gun and its instead a cell phone, so to manufacture a product that absolutely is designed to look like that, is fraught with so many dangers that I can’t even begin to describe,” Ross said.
Senator Casey has written to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms seeking a review to see if it’s legal under existing federal law.
He says with all the challenges currently facing law enforcement officials, a gun made to look just like a cell phone is one thing they certainly don’t need.
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