Craig Westerman
Well-Known Fanatic
Our city has just past a resolution making our city PD range into a city park so that it would fall under the city's liability insurance umbrella. I believe it is within the city limits. They intent to then open it up on a restricted/supervised basis for the public to shoot.
They are in the beginning stages of setting this up and have no clue as to how they will do it. They mentioned having a paid on duty police officer there part or all day Saturdays to supervise and have shooters make reservations in advance and pay $20 per hour to shoot. I told one of the City Commissioners, a long time friend and shooter that few would participate. The Police Chief is all in favor of opening the range, but he doesn't want it to impact negatively on his budget in any way. Public shooting has to pay for itself.
I would like to see a 2 to 4 hour supervised period like they propose, one day a week. Probably Saturday for the guy that rarely shoots or has had no training. Maybe $10 per hour. I would then like to see the range open during the week to those that take a safety class and pass a written and shooting test. Much like a CCW course. These trained, experienced shooters would pay a reasonable annual fee and have unsupervised daylight access when the range was not in use by LE or the supervised shooter time period.
I know Coffeyville. KS has a police range right next to town with some form of public access. I suggested to the City Commissioner that our City Manager get in contact with the Coffeyville PD and find out how they organize public access to their range.
As of now the ball has been hiked, but no one knows where to run with it. I want to at least be able to propose some options that are being used by other cities around the area. I see no point in reinventing the wheel here.
Does anyone here know of any other City PDs that allow some form of public access that we can contact to see how they structured their public access and to get ideas?
Know anyone I can contact that has "been there, done that"?
I welcome your thoughts.
Thanks Craig
PS, the range is only 10 blocks from my house. I really, really, really want this to happen.
.
They are in the beginning stages of setting this up and have no clue as to how they will do it. They mentioned having a paid on duty police officer there part or all day Saturdays to supervise and have shooters make reservations in advance and pay $20 per hour to shoot. I told one of the City Commissioners, a long time friend and shooter that few would participate. The Police Chief is all in favor of opening the range, but he doesn't want it to impact negatively on his budget in any way. Public shooting has to pay for itself.
I would like to see a 2 to 4 hour supervised period like they propose, one day a week. Probably Saturday for the guy that rarely shoots or has had no training. Maybe $10 per hour. I would then like to see the range open during the week to those that take a safety class and pass a written and shooting test. Much like a CCW course. These trained, experienced shooters would pay a reasonable annual fee and have unsupervised daylight access when the range was not in use by LE or the supervised shooter time period.
I know Coffeyville. KS has a police range right next to town with some form of public access. I suggested to the City Commissioner that our City Manager get in contact with the Coffeyville PD and find out how they organize public access to their range.
As of now the ball has been hiked, but no one knows where to run with it. I want to at least be able to propose some options that are being used by other cities around the area. I see no point in reinventing the wheel here.
Does anyone here know of any other City PDs that allow some form of public access that we can contact to see how they structured their public access and to get ideas?
Know anyone I can contact that has "been there, done that"?
I welcome your thoughts.
Thanks Craig
PS, the range is only 10 blocks from my house. I really, really, really want this to happen.
.