Councilwoman Diana Reyna says a bill banning the sale of machetes may be introduced by the end of 2008.

The proposal comes after the recent crimes in the area involving machetes.

Machetes are available for sale at local hardware stores and are intended for harsh gardening work. Luis Garden Acosta, who founded the south Williamsburg group El Puente, believes that machete sales are nothing but trouble.

?Machetes should not ever be in the hands of young people,? says Acosta.

Store owners are skeptical that a proposed law banning the sale of machetes has a chance to be successful.

?Somebody could buy a chef's knife, 12 inches or 10 inches, pretty much anywhere,? says Richard Popper, of Sid?s Hardware. ?So if you're not [going to] ban those, why ban machetes??

Councilwoman Reyna says the legislation may end up just banning sales to minors, like the legislation already in place for the sale of box cutters.