Sheriff’s Department getting new shooting range

The Houston County Sheriff’s Office will no longer have to travel to Perry or Warner Robins to get deputies firearm qualified.

“We’ve been trying to get one for about 10 to 15 years now, if not longer,” said Capt. Mike Stokes of the sheriff’s office. “We have to be very proficient with our weapons. By state law we have to qualify once a year, and our policy mandates twice a year minimum.”

Due to the lack of a range, the sheriff’s office had to try to arrange range time at either the Perry or Warner Robins Police Department ranges. That often presented a scheduling conflict, as both agencies had their own officers to certify. Stokes said that the department would be able to get only a week’s time to qualify all the deputies that carried a firearm.

“Getting our own range, we can do it (qualify deputies) over the year,” Stokes said. “This will substantially cut down on overtime and headaches associated with deputy schedule squared away in conjunction with other agencies. It’s a tremendous benefit for the sheriff’s office as far as being able to schedule over longer periods of time, and it’s a benefit to the county and taxpayers by cutting down on overtime costs to get deputies to qualify.”

The money for the range, which Stokes estimated at about $300,000, was approved by the Houston County Board of Commissioners. He said the department has been trying for a long while to get a range of its own, but the biggest problem was figuring out where to put it.

“The biggest hurdle is where to put it to not disturb neighbors, neighborhoods and it’s convenient for us to get to. We had several locations we’ve looked at and tried to make it work, but it wouldn’t work for the neighbors and deputies.”

Stokes said the department was very conscientious of where to put the range so that residents wouldn’t have to listen to gunfire at odd hours of the day and night. Deputies also have to train to be able to shoot in low light situations, and the department didn’t want residents to have to listen to gunfire at 9 p.m. when they’re trying to relax after work or sleep.

“The commissioners decided to put it near the landfill. There are not as many neighbors and the trees are noise buffers. There are fewer neighbors down there, so it’s not a huge imposition on them,” Stokes said.

The range will be an outdoor range with a classroom area on site off of Highway 247.

“Our footprint is 20 acres. We’re utilizing for the range itself nine acres,” Stokes said. “There is 50 yards for a handgun range and multi-purpose, a 100 yard rifle range, and we’re clearing and leveling out another 200 so my snipers will have a 200-yard range to practice on.”

The sheriff’s office is also trying to figure out how to set the range for public access for self-defense training and handgun classes for the general public. Stokes said that until that is planned out, the range will only be for deputies and other law enforcement personnel.

“The sheriff’s office and deputies are proud we’re getting this training facility to make them better

deputies,” Stokes said.

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