Seriously? A Cell-Phone Case That Looks Like a Gun?

It doesn’t take a genius to recognize a really bad idea.

As a voice for consumers, Block O’Toole & Murphy frequently has an opportunity to speak out on social issues that potentially impact innocent people. This brief piece is one of those occasions.

The focus: a cell phone case. The cell phone case in question looks very similar to a gun. The dangerous product has law enforcement, understandably, very concerned. Why? Well, put yourself in their shoes. They see someone with a case on their person or in their pocket or bag and that case looks just like a gun. They then observe the individual grab for the case that resembles a handgun. We ask law enforcement to make split-second decisions and we recognize that those moments can be very dangerous. Now a product is being introduced that only heightens that danger.

The dangers associated with this foolish product are obvious. The police officer can mistakenly think someone is reaching for a gun when in reality it is a phone. Their reaction can lead to an innocent person being hurt or killed. A second dangerous possibility is that police officers grown accustomed to seeing the cell phone cases and it lulls them into a false sense of security. The officer interacts with a person who is in fact armed with a handgun and the officer fails to take appropriate action because he or she assumes the handgun is actually a cell phone case. The consequence may be that a police officer who is serving the public is killed.

We join law enforcement agencies in calling for this product to be taken off the shelves of stores. Sometimes the line between making a profit and public safety is a blurry one. This is not a close call. The manufacturers of this product should be on notice that when innocent lives are impacted there will be consequences. The dangers associated with this ill-conceived idea are all too obvious.

That’s our take . . . what do you think?