Don’t even pretend to be a bad guy

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The government of the tiny Caribbean island state of Dominica wants to ban toy guns and camouflage clothing to cut down on robberies by perpetrators with fake weapons.

Police on the verdant, mountainous island, which is popular with eco-tourists, have reported a rash of holdups in recent months by men in military-style clothing using toy guns that looked real enough to fool victims.

National Security Minister Rayburn Blackmore has asked the parliament of the former British colony to vote on a ban when it reconvenes in January.

Real handguns are already officially limited to the police and military, but as in many Caribbean nations, the restrictions are widely flouted.

-- Carol J. Williams in Miami