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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda - 03-17-1998 - 10ai 0 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Action Agenda Item No 10-q ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: March 17, 1998 SUBJECT: Law Enforcement Qualification Training -------------------------- - - - - -- ------------------------------ DEPARTMENT County Commissioners PUBLIC HEARING YES NO —X- ------------------- -- - - - - -- --------------------------- ATTACHMENT (S) • BUDGET AMENDMENT: YES NO INFORMATION CONTACT: Res onse from area Law Commissioner Stephen Halkiotis p Enforcement Agencies on the need for a firing range TELEPHONE NUMBER Hillsborough 732 -8181 Data on participation at area Chapel Hill 968 -4501 firing facilities Mebane 227 -2031 Durham 688 -7331 Several letters ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: To provide supporting documentation for a firing range to enable law enforcement agencies in Orange County to conduct firearms training and qualification as required by the North Carolina Training and Standards Commission. BACKGROUND: In 1987, a proposal was made as part of the Rural Education Center project to house a law enforcement firing range in Orange County. Letters attached to this abstract support a firing range here in Orange County as far back as 1987. The need is even more critical today than back in 1987 and the support of all the law enforcement agencies in Orange County is still strong. A proposal has been out there for eleven (11) years with no action taken on it. RECOMMENDATION: (1) tlk Manager and agencies to appropriate enforcement funding for 1998 -99. Lat the County Commissioners authorize the County Commissioner Halkiotis to meet with law enforcement look at what would be required to put together an and qualified firing range for exclusive use of law agencies in Orange County, and (2) to consider a facility during the regular budget cycle for 1 2 IMPORTANT NOTES; (CARRBORO POLICE DEPT) CHIEF BEN CALLAHAN - says that he will support the concept of a local range in any way that he can (CHAPEL HILL POLICE DEPT.) LT. MARVIN CLARK - reports that they have been looking'at the different possibilities for some time the life of their current range facility is scheduled to expire this year (HILLSBOROUGH POLICE DEPT.) CHIEF NATHANIEL EUBANKS - Chief reports to me that in fact he listed the prospect of beginning a partnership of {range} in his goals & objectives for this year he was very excited at the possibility (UNC POLICE DEPT.) ACTING CHIEF JEFF MCCR.AKEN - stated that they currently go to DCSD but they are not really happy with that situation (D.M.V. weight scales) LT.RICHARDSON - stated they currently GO to Burlington: and although they go I time a year they would rather go 2 times {final decision would be w /Raleigh office (DEPT. of CORRECTIONS) SUPT.HOLT - currently go to either Johnston or Franklin Co. units but as of this month they have been moved into the Piedmont district and they do not know where they will go now (NIEBANE POLICE DEPT.) CHIEF GARY BUMGARNER - states he would be very receptive to the idea of having a local facility ALL REPORTED THAT THEY WOULD ENDORSE THE USE OF LOCAL FACILITYAND ALL WOULD EXPERIENCE A GREAT COST SA VINGS Sheetl DEPARTMENTI # OFF # YR. CURRENTLY HELD SUPP. CARBORO PD —L 33 3 CHAPEL HILL/HANDGUNNERS SAXPAHAW YES - BEN CALLAHAN CHAPEL HILL D CH P 120 2 CHAPEL HILL/BURLINGTON YES -IL MARVIN CLARK HILLSBOROUGH PD 30 2 BURLINGTON YES NAT EUBANKS UNC PD ! JEFF McKRAKEN 60 1 DCSD — - YES _ 64 1 BURLINGTON YES_ LT.RICHARDSON I — _ D_OC _ 1- OCSD MJR.TRUELOVE 30 1 JOHNSTOrN /FRANKLIN CO. _ BURLINGTON _ YES YES __ _ _ 110 2 MEBANE PD GARY BUMGARNER 16 2 BURLINGTON YES TOTAL 463 Page 1 LiNDY PENDERGRASS ATTACHMENT E 4 Sheriff of Orange County Hillsborough, North Carolina, 27278 Office Phone. Hillsborough 732.2431 Chapel Hill 942-6300 Residence Phone: 929.5535 To: Commissioner Stephen Halkiotis From: Sheriff Lindy Pendergra Be: Firearms Range Availability In Orange County Date: May 12, 198T I take this opportunity to follow up on our conversation as to (a) availability of a firing range for the Orange County Sheriff's Department here in the county. (b) the availability for the Orange County Schools and (c) the availability for the Orange County Recreation Department. The answer to AB g C is of course, there is no availability for any of these. In order for the Orange County Sheriff 'a Department to qualify and meet standard our personnel must use the facilities of the Durham County Sheriff's Department. This, at times, creates problems With scheduling around the times when the range Is not in use as well as the distance that we must travel and this often create= a hardship on the personnel in the department in meeting training standards for qualification. As you are aware of, firearms training is a great liability for all law enforce- ment agencies. In order for us to comply with training requirements ve should have access to a range wherein we could train on a regular basis, avoiding any civil liability should we be found deficient. A Firing Range must be located in an area that is safe and one that would not create coWplaints from the citizens of the county as has been the case with the Chapel Hill Police Departments Range. Letters of need free Chapel Hill, Car -rboro and Hillsborough Police Departments are attached. I hope that somehow a Range cam be built to accomodate all who are concerned, and one that is la_Tse enough to support the needs as it is most essential due to the mandatory training standards. LP:rf , ( 0- `_ - i � ATTACHMENT F 5 C iz a p e 1 H i 1 1 IF l i c e 3=) t rrt e rl t 828 Airport Road Chapel Hill, N.C. 27514 (919) 968 -2760 April 30. 1987 Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass Orange County Sheriffs Department 106 East Margaret Lane Hillsborough, N.C. 27278 Sheriff Pendergrass: I would like to take this opportunity to support the proposal for a firing range for Law Enforcement Officers in Orange County. It will fill a need that has o�cisted in the County for some time, and enhance the quality of Law Enforcement services for the residents of the County. As you know. Officers of the Chapel Hill Police Department present- ly utilize the range owned by the Chapel Hill Police Association. This facility is serving us well. and in fact, we are now in the pro- cess of negotiating with the Association for improvements at the fa- cility. Some of the improvements are• necessitated because of new re- quirements proposed by the State for limited light qualification as well as combat firing qualifications. As you also know, this facility is limited to five lanes which will not be large enough too support the future needs of Law Enforcement Officers other than our own. Be- cause of the topography of the area, the cost of adding additional lanes is prohibitive, and therefore is not presently being considered as one of those improvements under discussion. I believe that the needs into the future, area for all of Law En! even further to lessen same, and an adequate tial. Our facility is the entire County with Association's range will be able to meet our but with firearms being such a high liability 'orcement, I plan on increasing our own training this risk. I know that you would like to do the facility to carry out this training is essen- simply not large enough to support the needs of necessary training such as this. For all of these reasons. I wholeheartedly support this proposal. It will assist all of us in doing our job better and more safely, and is therefore a wise and prudent investment of public resources. Sincerely Your major Arnold Gold, Interim Chief of Police Chapel Hill Police Department May 8, 1987 Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass Orange County Sheriff's Department Hillsborough, NC 27278 Dear Lindy: 6 P 0 L.01 3T, v .,, ►.. ,,, At the present the Carrborc Police Department is conducting firearms training and qualification 5 times a year. At each training session the officers shoot a total of 150 rounds. One hundred reloaded rounds are used to fire two practice runs over the prescribed course of fire as listed in the Basic Law Enforcement Training Manual issued by N.C. Training 6 Standards Commission. The last fifty rounds are service ammunition manufactured by Remington Arms Corporation, Bridgeport, Conn. This is the type of ammunition the officers are required to carry on duty, and they must qualify using this ammunition. As you can see we have a extensive firearms program. Our departments twenty -two sworn officers enjoy this program and it is reflected in their scores. During the last session our department average Was 95.6% We at present are using a portion of a small farm in Orange County near Hillsborough. We were given permission to use this area for our training by the ou-ner 7 years ago and our contract consists of a strong handshake. Our i=mmediate concern is that the area we are using is immediately adjacent to an exit ramp from the new I -40. The value of that land of course has now skyrocketed. I feel it's realistic to assume, sometime in the near future that land tay be sold. This causes our department some serious concerns. From a liability point of view it is essential that a good firearms program be maintained. It would be a great help if the county somehow acquired land and established a range for the law enforcement departments in the county to use. This range could also be used as a training facility for any school program for small bore (rifle). Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass Page .2 The need is very real, especially since Training & Standards Commission is considering mandatory inservics firearms training for all municipal police and sheriff's departments. I hope you will present my concerns to the Orange County Commissioners. Best Personal Regards. A. Sid Herje, Chief of Police Carrboro, NC ASH/r-1 N Claef L. C. Biggb Lieutenant H. Et bank.b Sertrant L. F. L.ine>< Investigator B. R. Frederick Secrttory M. E- Lockfaw• 1 8 ATTACHMENT H 3'�itilSbLirDUg4 UnUrr Brparfmrrll 127 NORTH CHURTON STREET HILLSBOROUGH NORTH CAROLINA 27278 732 -9381 732 -9382 May 12, 1987 She&i66 Lindy Pendehgha A 144 East Manga&et Lane t{.WAbon.ough, MC 27278 Dena Sheh.i.66, I Auppo)tt a pibtoL hangs that can be used by a.0 taw en 6o&aement o j j4ej �u .in Ohang a County. At th,i.a time, we have to use the p.iAtof- range 06 other depahtmentb. The INiMbohough Pot-Zee Depahtment wi.LL put 6ohth evVW a 66 an t to o hta in a pi,&tot. hang a in Ohang e County. Sinca�a.Ly, aYWAY C. Ugo ' Chie6 LCS /met. Patrolmen 1. Holloway J. G. Jacobs P. E. Whim W. T. Kins J. H. Irwin G.B. Snow& l cep eC N Grf 'ro 5!.AC.E . rA r- M 2 LAM Acre+ p�lvtJUG CAKE � PISTOL. �dJUC�� reuv 4c f sN O 0 0000 - ao tis MVPTY . _. - o AGCI CUL�rU�� .� UL71- �i r-IcuLYU� 1 IUVAL MV VC4TIO N �K,K�T PV r- auo MAP-Y--7- KA C P I env LV OveeFLDW Csmm p L) av MOL I-?ufPOsE FAciuY _ P/LIGlG� 41 Q D --1 n s m z r w