COUNTYWIDE : Limit Sought on Agencies’ Use of Range

The number of law-enforcement agencies that use a shooting range has been scrutinized by the Huntington Beach City Council, which wants to limit the use of the range by outside agencies.

The range, which opened about 25 years ago at Central Park and is operated by the Huntington Beach Police Officers’ Assn., currently is used for training purposes by more than 30 law-enforcement agencies and other groups.

But some nearby residents and people who use an adjacent racquetball facility have complained about the noise created by the firing of weapons and have expressed concerns about safety. Some council members have also voiced concerns about the noise.

The range provides an outdoor facility for police officers to get specialized training during the day and occasionally at night. For instance, SWAT teams use the shooting range to conduct training exercises.

The public portion of the range was closed a year ago because of safety concerns, but there are plans to reopen it after improvements are made.

Huntington Beach Police Officer Dennis D. Ford on Wednesday said training is necessary to make officers more proficient and that practice is a matter of life and death on the job.

Ford said a sign hanging inside the range master’s office sums up the need for the facility: “Survival: Practice as if your life depends on it. Because it does.”

“You have to (practice) especially in today’s times,” Ford said, adding that the location of the shooting range allows local officers to train during work time, resulting in cost-savings to the city.

He said if the facility were to close, officers would have to travel to another range in another city or outside the county. He said the city would end up paying for overtime costs for officers to train elsewhere and it would mean that an on-duty officer would not be readily able to respond to emergency calls if they are outside the city.

Resident Ed Kerins, vice president of the citizens’ group Huntington Beach Tomorrow, said he agrees that the gun range is needed to serve Huntington Beach police officers, but does not like its location. He also said the number of agencies using the facility should be restricted.

The Huntington Beach City Council on Monday approved a revised 20-year lease agreement with the police association to give the city control of the outside agencies that use the gun facility. Under the agreement, the association would make improvements to minimize noise and enhance safety.

Councilman Dave Sullivan said he wanted the city to have more control of outside agencies that use the facility in efforts to minimize noise to the surrounding neighborhood.

“My intent is not to have an unlimited use by outside agencies and to have some control by the city,” Sullivan said. “It would be irresponsible for the council to give up all oversight or control on what outside groups come in to use the gun range.”

Terry Orosco, general manager of the shooting range, said that “we can only accommodate so many people and any improvements are not going to increase the number of agencies who use the range.”

Richard Wright, president of the police association, said his group will consider the revised lease and decide whether to continue to operate the range or close it.