Sale Of Knives and Laser Pointers To Be Banned In Ocean City

OCEAN CITY – The Mayor and City Council voted to ban the sale of “assisted opening knives” and laser pointers in Ocean City with both most likely being passed by an emergency ordinance next Monday to become effective immediately.

On Tuesday afternoon, Ocean City Police Department Chief Ross Buzzuro and Lt. Mark Pacini requested the Mayor and City Council move an amendment to Chapter 58, Sections 121 and 123, of the town code to add the definition and prohibition of “assisted opening knife.”

This change would go along with Maryland State Law that states a person may not sell, barter, display, or offer to sell or barter a switchblade or shooting knife. Ocean City plans to take it one step further by banning “assisted opening knives.”

State law defines a switchblade or shooting knife as “a knife or a penknife having a blade that opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in the handle of the knife, commonly called a switchblade knife or a switchblade penknife, or a device that is designed to propel a knife from a metal sheath by means of a high-compression ejector spring, commonly called a shooting knife.”

A person who violates this state law is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 12 months or a fine of not less than $50 and not exceeding $500 or both.

Continue Reading