"Less serious" airsoft groups?

[Anonymous]

If you play within the city limits, it's illegal. Discharging a firearm inside the city limits in Arizona is against the law, and in many cases that includes BB guns or airsoft guns. If you contact the police in Phoenix, they will tell you you can't play airsoft inside the city limits because it's illegal. If you plan to play outside the city limits, get permision and contact the law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction in the area. If you have permission to play on private land, then you should be okay. Yes, not every officer will know, but at least somebody will.

[dajini]

Still cmptrdewd... I would rather take the chance of asking them and them saying "no" and giving us a hard time rather than pulling their guns on us and maybe shooting one of us while we play without permission. It's WAY, WAY, WAY, WAY better to be safe than sorry. I still hold my opinion that we should tell the police before we go play airsoft somewhere... and I'm sorry but if you cant follow that common sense rule than I don't wanna come to any games hosted by you      Not in a mean way I just think it's better to be safe than sorry. I don't plan on getting shot by the cops anytime soon    I dunno I've always been the more cautious type rather than the risk taker... you live much safer that way. Maybe not as fun as being a daredevil and a risk taker and things like that, but it's safe.

Plus I really don't want our younger airsoft group being branded as those stupid little kids messing up airsofts reputation. I'd rather have our group be regarded as the mature, sensible airsofters.

[-Wraith-]

I think the issue with a "don't do it" response would be would a minor calls in and asks. I don't live in Phoenix, and the departments vary in their stance towards the sport. However, tomarrow I will go and ask my neighbor ( Mohave Valley Sheriff ) about that. I really don't think he's going to agree with that statement.

[cmptrdewd]

Well cmptrdewd, at AA we're suppost to be nice, and not call people names etc. Firehead knows what he's talking about and so do the rest of us.
To my knowledge, when an AA game is made, the police are notifyed. Do you think an organization such as this one would last if one of us were hurt by a police officer? A member of my family can tell you the seriousness of the situation due to my cousin being shot out of a tree, and killed because he pointed a clear plastic toy gun at a cop thinking they were playing cops & robbers (he was little).
Notify the police, or as Firehead said, find another sport.

Ok, your right. We shouldn't call people names on these forums.
I apologize to Firehead and make this apology under my own will.
I still hold belief to the statement my dad made above.
I hold safety in my highest priority and thought it was a good idea to contact Law Enforcement until I did. I called the PPD and I asked in a professional tone "Where would be a legal place to play airsoft?" The man on the phone asked, "What is Airsoft?" I continued with, "They are replaca guns that shoot 6mm plastic BB's-" I was cut off with, "there will be no firing of firearms within city limit's!"
Then I asked my dad and some other officers on this issue. They all gave the same responce this my dad gave above. I have a plot of private land near my house that my dad has played airsoft with me on more than one occation and I have expressed permission from the owner to play there.
If you think I have no regaurd to safety or the law why don't you pick a bone with a few seniors know that have "springer wars" at a public park! And if that's not bad enough they play at night! As said before, safety is my number one priority and still believe it will not help to contact law enforcement!


P.S. Sorry for bad spelling

[studdermonkey]

Yeah, also in my trial and error ways, that works well too. He even called dispatch and said we could play till' 12 am. (at the wash).

(responding to cptr's dads response)

[dajini]

It is probably, as someone mentioned before, because it sounds like a minor asking where to play airsoft. They hear a minor's voice and immediatley they think "NOPE NOPE NO WAY!! MINORS ARE DANGEROUS AND RECKLESS AND STUPID! NEVER! NOPE!". But if an adult called I'm sure they would answer it seriously.

[cmptrdewd]

Still cmptrdewd... I would rather take the chance of asking them and them saying "no" and giving us a hard time rather than pulling their guns on us and maybe shooting one of us while we play without permission. It's WAY, WAY, WAY, WAY better to be safe than sorry. I still hold my opinion that we should tell the police before we go play airsoft somewhere... and I'm sorry but if you cant follow that common sense rule than I don't wanna come to any games hosted by you      Not in a mean way I just think it's better to be safe than sorry. I don't plan on getting shot by the cops anytime soon    I dunno I've always been the more cautious type rather than the risk taker... you live much safer that way. Maybe not as fun as being a daredevil and a risk taker and things like that, but it's safe.

Plus I really don't want our younger airsoft group being branded as those stupid little kids messing up airsofts reputation. I'd rather have our group be regarded as the mature, sensible airsofters.

Apparently you guys don't understand that if you were going to contact the PPD, the street officers wouldn't hear about the game and there would still be a risk of some one getting shot! I have told what I think as well as police officers own opinion. I most likely not walk away from this without a bad rep. I will no longer reply on this subject.

[-Wraith-]

It sounds to me as if you aproached the subject wrong. The legality of airsoft relies alot on how you present it and what you call it. Lets use an example of paintball that is well known:
Paintball Gun
Paintball Marker

Which do you think the police are gonna be lighter on? Also, when you call, don't just ask them a spot to do it since, it is illegal to fire it off within city limits unless on your property etc. etc. Call and say something like "Hi, I, and a group of my friends have a sport like paintball we'd like to play that has a low velocity, doesn't break the skin, and we will use all safety procautions etc and play outside of city limits, is this okay (or may I have permission).

EDIT: As you dad stated, the officers on patrol may not know about it, but police officers are to report in, where they are, what they are doing, the reason they're going to a call etc. Chances are, someone will be notifyed and will tell the officer what the people are doing and maybe just to check it out just to be safe.

[-MAD- SARGE]

I personally dont believe it is wise or safe to play airsoft within the city limits, in any public area.  I want to play in an area that is secluded and where I only have to stop my game once in awhile due to a hiker.  Where then we hold fire and explain whats going on to the person and define the area where we are operating in.  I will not take any chances playing in a public park or a private lot, where passerbys can see me and possibly recieve stray rounds.   The more people that you play around the less safe you are.  Thats the heart of the issue.  

Yes if you called a local city police department they probally dont want to hear it.  You shouldn't be playing in town anyways.  You are asking too much from others to be able to distinguish you playing a game, instead of having real fire arms.  I dont like adding exponential variables to the equation. Too many things can get out of hand and go wrong. This is the issue, to me.  

When we play, we play out of town and let the proper authorities know.  One example, if a hiker from a distance saw one of our players and ran back to call the police, they would know the area we are in and can respond to the call accordingly, if they respond at all.

I have a neighbor who is a police officer.  As I was telling him about airsoft he was joking to his friend about using my airsoft gun to ambush him in our apartment complex.  I said something to the fact that the police would show up and he said "ah it would give the swat team something to do."   As hes on a swat team himself.   These are some things that I would like seen avoided by using common sense.  This is all I hope for.

[Bucket]

I personally dont believe it is wise or safe to play airsoft within the city limits, in any public area.  I want to play in an area that is secluded and where I only have to stop my game once in awhile due to a hiker.  Where then we hold fire and explain whats going on to the person and define the area where we are operating in.  I will not take any chances playing in a public park or a private lot, where passerbys can see me and possibly recieve stray rounds.   The more people that you play around the less safe you are.  Thats the heart of the issue.  

Yes if you called a local city police department they probally dont want to hear it.  You shouldn't be playing in town anyways.  You are asking too much from others to be able to distinguish you playing a game, instead of having real fire arms.  I dont like adding exponential variables to the equation. Too many things can get out of hand and go wrong. This is the issue, to me.  

When we play, we play out of town and let the proper authorities know.  One example, if a hiker from a distance saw one of our players and ran back to call the police, they would know the area we are in and can respond to the call accordingly, if they respond at all.

I have a neighbor who is a police officer.  As I was telling him about airsoft he was joking to his friend about using my airsoft gun to ambush him in our apartment complex.  I said something to the fact that the police would show up and he said "ah it would give the swat team something to do."   As hes on a swat team himself.   These are some things that I would like seen avoided by using common sense.  This is all I hope for.

Sarge I agree. We seem to have a misunderstanding here. I may not have ben clear myself.

If you play in city limits of course the PD (Phoenix PD in this case) is going to tell you no because it is illegal as stated before to play within city limits. If you are going to play in the county then you contact the county sherif NOT the city Police. You will most likely not get the same responce from the county sherrif as you will from the city police.

Besides it's best to CYA, even if you get told no.

City Police and County Sherrif are different agencies.

[dajini]

But seriously... the last thing us minors need is a bad reputation. I mean, whenever people hear "minor" and "airsoft" together they immdiatley think troublemakers, shooting their neighbors, shooting their friends without eye protection, playing in public, shooting passerbys. What really bugs me is when people think that ALL minors are like that. While most are, some of us are actually sensible, gun-safe (is that even a word?), and smart. I just hate it when people talk about "minors messing up airsoft's reputation" or, from paintball, "minors messing up paintball's reputation". It bugs me that just because we are young and minors, we immediatley have a bad reputation before anyone gets to know us.

Cmptrdewd, the last thing we need is having a hiker see us, calling the cops saying "0mg oh n03s t3h min3rssz sh00ting 3ach 0th3r hurryze@!!@111eleven1one!!one!" and the cops knowing they haven't heard any reports of people saying they are gonna play airsoft and calling the police out there. Like I said before, I still hold by my opinion that we should call the cops before we go play somewhere. The last thing us minors need is an even worse reputation