De Soto officials plan to limit the use of the city’s shooting range after a few residents complained about how frequently it is used. Police use the range for training purposes.
City Manager Todd Melkus said six residents attended the City Council meeting on Monday night to share concerns about the city-owned shooting range located on the west side of the wastewater treatment plant property off Hwy. P.
He said the residents complained about the increased use at the shooting range, specifically how it has been used more by other departments in the past year. That increase in usage happened after a shooting range off Hwy. BB outside Hillsboro, which was available to other police departments, recently closed.
“Since then, additional entities have been requesting to use our range, and it has dramatically increased the usage,” he said.
Melkus said he believes the shooting range was built in the mid-1990s, and just for the De Soto Police Department to use.
Melkus said prior to Monday’s meeting, he heard from a resident who lives near the shooting range and is worried about the increased use there.
“After a few discussions with him, (De Soto Police Chief Jeff McCreary) and the council, the council requested that the chief present them with a plan to begin decreasing the usage of the range,” Melkus said.
During the meeting, residents told the council that not only is the shooting range used more frequently, but also it is used all hours of the day, even on Friday nights, he said.
“The residents were very understanding of the need for the officers to complete training, etc., but feel that with so many other police departments using the range now that it has gotten out of hand,” he said.
Melkus said the City Council agreed with the residents’ complaints and discussed a short-term solution to start limiting the hours the range can be used and a long-term solution of limiting the number of days it can be used, possibly to just one week a month. He said the council members did not take a vote, but they agreed to these changes.
Mayor Rich McCane said the City Council agreed to set hours of operation from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. He said the city’s Public Works Department will install a gate on the shooting range this week to prevent non-law enforcement officers from getting in.
McCane said McCreary has agreed to try to limit the days of operation, beginning next year.
“Chief McCreary stated that the range does already have a number of dates that are scheduled in the next few months and discussed being able to let those dates stay on the books, but moving forward to implement a much stricter schedule,” Melkus said.
McCane said law enforcement officers and the people who live near the shooting range deserve credit for working together to accommodate each other.
Andrea Barnett is one of the people who lives near the range and owns 38 acres, with 6 of the acres inside the city limits. She said the man who sold her the property in July spearheaded discussions with the city manager.
She said she knew the gun range would be noisy, but she didn’t realize she would hear hours of repetitive gunfire on weekdays, evenings and weekends. She also said she knows police officers need to train and qualify for shooting standards, but she hoped the city would limit the use of the range to a few days a week.
On Tuesday, Barnett said she was pleased with the council members’ decision, adding that they did more than she expected.
“The decision by the council after hearing from nearby residents has my full support so the residents may return to some kind of normality in their neighborhood,” McCreary said. “Our intention in letting other agencies use the range was in support of area law enforcement and our partnership within the county.
“Since other options for range time became limited this year, we thought it was important to help until a near-term and a long-term solution (for lack of ranges) was undertaken.”
McCreary said law enforcement leaders in Jefferson County will continue to discuss the need for more shooting ranges.
McCane acknowledged there is a need for shooting ranges.
“Officers need to qualify with their weapons and there are very few options left in the county since many ranges have been closed,” he said. “At the same time, the amount of use at our municipal range is not sustainable. In the long term, it is time for an indoor Jefferson County range that can accommodate all law enforcement agencies.”
On Tuesday morning, Sheriff Dave Marshak sent an email to the County Council and County Executive Dennis Gannon regarding the De Soto City Council’s decision.
Marshak said since the 1990s, police agencies in the county have faced challenges finding training and qualification space.
“Historically, the range near Hillsboro (adjacent to the water treatment plant) drew recurring complaints over noise, ricochets and safety concerns. Ultimately, those issues led Hillsboro to close the facility last year,” Marshak said. “When that range closed, agencies, including the Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson College Law Enforcement Academy and Hillsboro Police, relocated to De Soto’s range. As predicted, increased use has now triggered a similar wave of complaints from nearby residents, mirroring what Hillsboro experienced.”
Marshak said modern training requires officers to qualify on firearms and practice in low-light conditions.
“This is not a new problem, and I have been researching potential solutions for several years,” said Marshak, who is serving his second term as sheriff. “While the Sheriff’s Office is the largest consumer of range time, Jefferson College is the next largest, and their academy also has significant training needs.
“Recently, I met with Jefferson College President Dena McCaffrey and vice president Chris DeGeare to explore renewed partnerships that could serve both their students and our deputies. Our leadership teams will meet again in two weeks, with firearms training needs on the table for discussion.
“It is clear from past attempts that new outdoor ranges will not gain community support. Any viable solution will likely involve an indoor range developed through partnerships. At this stage, everything remains conceptual, but we are actively exploring options and having conversations.”
Earlier this year, the Festus Police Department proposed building an outdoor range about a half mile from Larry G. Crites Memorial Park, but scrapped the plans after a public outcry.