MAHONING VALLEY Police target paint balls

Paint balls traveling at 260 feet per second can cause damage.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HUBBARD -- Police Chief Marty Kanetsky says juveniles don't realize the danger that can be done by shooting paint balls at the unsuspecting.
Although the targets are usually confined to buildings, a paint ball rattling a window can be dangerous.
Kanetsky recalls a store owner who was on a ladder in front of his store when a paint ball splattered on the window.
"He could have fallen off and killed himself," Kanetsky asserted, adding he'd like to find the shooter.
In most cases, the chief explained, paint balls seldom cause damage because the paint is water soluble.
Close call
Recently in Liberty, four kids -- age 12 to 14 -- opened fire on several passing vehicles.
Although there were no injuries, a township police officer was forced to draw his pistol when he spotted only the barrel of a paint ball gun over a rise in the terrain.
In some communities such as Campbell, paint balls aren't much of a problem.
Sgt. John Constantino, Campbell police juvenile officer, said paint balls have been fired at a home and parked cars.
"It hasn't been a real problem for us," he said.
But in Niles, legislation has been introduced in city council that would ban firing a paint ball gun within the city limits.
The issue arose when residents complained that homes and vehicles had been hit with the paint pellets.
Niles Police Chief Bruce Simeone said the problem is not just paint balls, but also sling shots, BB guns, and even rocks and bowling balls thrown through windows.
Simeone agrees with Councilman Robert Marino, D-at large, that paint balls should be lumped in with the current vandalism law rather than banning them specifically.
"We've always had vandalism. It just comes in different forms," the Niles chief asserted.
The equipment for paint ball play isn't cheap.
Marlene Miller, a salesperson at Miller Rod & amp; Gun in Boardman, said a paint ball gun sells for $150 to $2,000, and 500 balls sell for between $46 and $64, depending on the thickness of the paint.
The mask that protects the head and face costs between $70 and $200.
"They're not monitored enough by parents," said Detective Sgt. Ray Holmes, Austintown police juvenile officer.
Sales are legal
Holmes said retail outlets sell to those who are under age 18 because federal and state laws don't categorize paint ball guns as firearms.
But they're powerful, Holmes pointed out, because they dent aluminum siding. And when siding is damaged, the entire side of a house must be replaced to maintain the aesthetic value of the home.
And, people are reckless with them, Holmes said, calling attention to an off-duty Austintown officer who was struck in the chest while jogging.
Dom Vigarino, who runs Paintball Sphere on West Boulevard in Boardman, said the guns, or "markers," fire between two and 20 paint balls per second.
Balls travel at 260 feet per second, Vigarino explained, noting that 300 fps is 200 mph. Compressed air is the propellant.
Vigarino said he stresses safety to customers before a purchase. "Safety is the most important issue," he said.
Banning paint balls in communities such as Niles, Vigarino said, won't deter the "one or two bad people."
"It will still go on," the paint ball enthusiast added.
yovich@vindy.com