New Haven Independent

Posted by: Deuce | October 23, 2008 8:11 AM

"he worries about the effect of school children who go to class within earshot of the firing range"

How about worrying about the effect of illegal gun use and street crime on schoolchildren?

Yep, it's always the cops, never the criminals.

Posted by: Nicole G. | October 23, 2008 3:19 PM

Deuce, what does one issue have to do with the other? The proposal seems like it might meet the needs of both the Academy and local residents. How is this a bad thing? I guarantee you that Seth et. al ALSO worry about the effects on children of guns and street crime, but that is not the major issue here. I suspect you are so flippant in your criticism because it's doubtful that you were at this meeting, live in this neighborhood or know these people.

Posted by: Deuce | October 23, 2008 3:53 PM

Nicole, the sound of police gunfire is music to my ears.

Posted by: BBC | October 23, 2008 4:20 PM

Doesn't the city own the current site? In these economic times, people (including city employees) are losing jobs so why would the city, or more to the point, this mayor, go to the expense of this major purchase for the city and the expense of moving the facilities? Wouldn't it be cheaper to build a facility on the current site of the police academy to house an indoor firing range?

Posted by: Deuce | October 23, 2008 5:38 PM

Nicole,

One does not need to live in a neighborhood or attend a meeting there in order to comment on a website when the subject matter pertains to the city in which one lives. We have newspapers and websites like this so we may be informed of what's going on. I am a lifelong New Haven resident and a taxpayer. I will comment on whatever New Haven news articles I wish to whethor you like it or not.

Posted by: Nicole G. | October 23, 2008 6:36 PM

Deuce - You certainly have the right to comment; I was merely noting that your comment was not relevant to the topic that was being discussed: neighbors bothered by noise from the firing range. Regardless of levels of crime or the need for a firing range, the central issue here is that the fire range is irksome to local residents. I am sure that if it was in my backyard or yours, we might be complaining too. I don't think it's helpful to attack a specific comment (as you did) with criticism that while relevant in another discussion, is not in this specific context.

Posted by: Anonyme | October 24, 2008 8:50 AM

I think it'd be great if the range were open to the public at some nominal fee. It's a pain in the ass to travel to Wallingford or Guilford or beyond to shoot. Especially during the Winter months when it gets dark early and the roads are often slick.

If owners dont practice regulary you get bad owners. You want a bunch of poor shot bad gun owners in New Haven? My bad. The 14 year old psychopaths arent exactly 'good' owners are they so maybe this is what New Haven wants.

You can get certified range safety officers to volunteer their time easily if the cops dont want to do it. Hell, I'm a certifies RSO and I'd volunteer. It beats watching TV. A little free range time would be a nice trade-off.

And the cops could count the nominal fees as 'donations' to gas up their armored assault vehicle or whatever other garbage they cant fund without cooking the books.

As far as neighbors complaining. I guess you'd have an argument if you moved in or bought the property prior to the existence of the range and the noise but if you moved there after the fact you're frankly SOL. It'd be like moving near an airport and then demanding they move the airport. How selfish and egotistical can people get? Geez.

Kids hearing gun shots on their way to school? Bring back school rifle teams. Problem solved. The kids learn control, focus and responsibility and you give them something to do after school besides drugs and video games. Practicing at a police range would also connect the kids to the cops better than any cop on a bike riding by ever could. It might make the cops behave better too.

Posted by: Moti Sandman - Alderman Ward28 | October 24, 2008 1:51 PM

Hi All:

I would like to take a moment to respond to some of the comments stating that the neighborhood should be quite about the activity at the range.

Before getting to the heart of the letter I would like to preface my remarks by clearly stating that I and the entire Firing Range Committee understand and have no issue with the fact that our officers must be trained and certified. We also understand the positive "bridge building" effect that allowing other departments to use our range as well. We look forward to working with COA Smuts, Chief Lewis and Assistant Chief Brown in creating the best academy and firing range on the Wintergreen sight.

Firstly the neighborhoods (Newhallville & Beaver Hills) were built and settled prior to the range being activated. The first homes in Newhallville were built in the 1880s and the first homes in Beaver Hills were built in the 1910s. What we now call the New Haven Police Academy & Range was originally the Sherman Avenue Police Precinct building. The Academy took it over in the 1950s and the range was activated at that same time. Nearly all of the homes were already built in both neighborhoods'.

In addition the activity at the range was minimal. The State only required officers to shoot once every 3 years now our officers have to certify every year both in daylight and night shooting conditions. Also in the past it was just the New Haven PD.

Now we have 23 surrounding towns using our range to certify and train as well as six Federal Agencies, including the FBI, CIA, Coast Guard, ATF and the Secret Service.

The noise levels have jumped from the past as well. What used to be just pistol practice are now long guns and even flash bangs (this has the equivalent sound of a grenade).

Additionally we have 3 schools in earshot of the range, King Robinson, Hillhouse High & SCSU. No child or young adult should have to grow up learning in an environment that is filled with gunfire.

This is not what here when my family moved in over thirty something years ago. I trust that by proactively and positively engaging our elected officials in Washington as well as in Hartford we can show them that moving the Academy & range to the Wintergreen sight is the best and highest use for the old base and that the fact that multiple agencies as well as many surrounding towns use the range should work in our favor as well.

Moti Sandman
Alderman Ward 28

Posted by: muva | October 24, 2008 5:24 PM

...and isn't that Wintergreen site just behind Neff Hall at SCSU??
Isn't that less than 1/2 mile away (as the crow flies)??
I used to room at Neff while attending Southern, and we could hear the gunfire already, so moving it there will only make it "sorta, kinda quieter" for Beaver Hills residents.
Typical band-aid BS.

Posted by: ItDoesAffectTheKids | October 24, 2008 8:23 PM

It should also be pointed out that the "old" Martin Luther King school has this shooting range right behind it. I worked there during the time there were pre-school children housed there (and there still are a few classrooms of children under 3). The children used to be terrified of the sound of the shooting range. Unfortunately these children knew what the sound of a gun was, and when they played on the playground many would cry and scream and run to their teachers when they heard the gunfire from the range. Kids have enough to be afraid of in New Haven-they shouldnt be tortured while they are in school.

Posted by: CHris | October 26, 2008 9:51 AM

WHy can't NHPD use the East Haven Firing range as does the New Haven National Guard. I think the National Gaurd Armory next to New Havens holding facility would make a good police academy training site.