Friday, May 07, 1999
Firing range for police moves ahead
Franklin OKs taking bids
BY DAVID ECK
Enquirer Contributor
FRANKLIN — City leaders want to make sure police officers here can handle their firearms safely and effectively at all times. On Monday, council took the first steps toward that assurance.
They asked city staff to proceed with bids for the construction of an outdoor police firing range on about seven acres in the southern part of the city.
The firing field could be operational this summer, said Councilman George Hamilton, the city's retired police chief.
“We didn't have a range last year,” he said. “That's one of the things that is critical.”
Officers have been using a makeshift range on a nearby farm, but that is not an ideal situation, Police Chief Robert Rockwood said.
“It was a nice, safe, quiet place for us to shoot,” he said. “We're still shooting real bullets on somebody's property. We understand that it's an imposition, as it would be with anybody's property.”
Police officers qualify with their firearms at least annually, but a new range will allow for more qualification and continual practice.
“Once the range is available we will immediately quadruple the amount of training,” Chief Rockwood said. “That will give our range officer opportunities to work with and improve the proficiency of the officers with their firearms. We (also) won't have to drive and leave our jurisdiction to find a place to shoot.”
City officials say the range is worthwhile if for nothing more than safety.
Officers will not have to drive outside of Franklin, sometimes drawing overtime, to practice their shooting.
“If an officer draws his weapon and has not been updated or certified, you've got some liability (issues),” said Franklin Mayor James Mears. “We're going to make it as realistic as we can. When an officer draws his weapon, he's drawing deadly force.”
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