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| Still, officials suspect there were many. "They are used in offenses," Cmdr. McCoy said. "There is no doubt about that." In Alexandria, where it is legal to own a registered handgun, BB and replica guns also are a growing problem, police said. "From a police standpoint, anything that looks like a real gun is very disturbing because no one wants to encounter someone with a weapon, whether it is real or not," said Amy Bertsch, a spokeswoman for the Alexandria police. Police officials in Montgomery and Fairfax counties said they had not heard of efforts to restrict the use of BB guns in their jurisdictions. Currently, BB guns are legal to own in those areas. Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey, who was shot in the arm with a pellet gun in a drive-by shooting in 2004, said placing tougher restrictions on BB guns should be considered. "I'd certainly be interested in taking a look at what the District does on this," he said. "There may be some scenarios we'd consider changing here in Prince George's County or in Maryland." Some D.C. Council members said banning BB guns might be a solution. "Quite frankly, I think you ought to ban BB guns," said Vincent B. Orange Sr., Ward 5 Democrat who is running for mayor. "I don't personally see the use for them." Council member Kwame R. Brown, at-large Democrat, said that instead of instituting a ban on such guns, officials should look at why crimes are committed with them. Council member Jim Graham, Ward 1 Democrat, said residents should be required to register BB guns and that the council should examine how other jurisdictions deal with the problem. |