Firing Range Passes Safety Evaluation, Reopens

An independent safety evaluation of the police union’s firing range has determined that the Huntington Central Park facility does not pose an “imminent danger to the community,” officials said as they reopened it Tuesday.

To some city officials, however, who had demanded the study after a bullet shattered a rear window of a home near the range, the conclusion was not so clear.

“In the interest of public safety it should be closed until safety measures are installed,” Huntington Beach Mayor Dave Sullivan said.

There were no injuries in the Jan. 23 incident, but it raised concern about the safety of the facility, operated by the Huntington Beach Police Officers Assn.

After a ballistics report Feb. 7 indicated a high probability that the stray bullet came from the range, the police union agreed to close it.

The evaluation was conducted Feb. 12 by Kramer One, an architecture and planning firm based in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The results, released Tuesday, said one broken window and no injuries in the range’s 28 years in operation is “not an unreasonable safety record.”

Officials estimate that 1 million rounds are fired every year at the range, used by about 70 law enforcement agencies.

Richard Wright, president of the police union, said the report “shows what we’ve been doing all along, and that’s looking out for the safety of the public.”

The report stated that the range appears to be well-operated and maintained, but the planning firm nonetheless recommended $1.2 million in improvements.

Sullivan pointed out a statement in the report that “we cannot state that the range as presently designed will not allow another hazard event to occur in the future.”

A hazard event is defined as one that causes loss of life, injury or property damage.

“What the report tells me,” the mayor said, “is we have an unsafe range.”