Law Enforcement
Police Pistol Practice Place
February 13, 2006 
With the pending sale of the Boise Police Association, Boise cops are about to lose their long time shooting range, but Ada Sheriff Gary Raney tells the GUARDIAN a new range is on the horizon.
The Association is selling its club house and pistol range to a couple of members and since they are city employees, the ethics policy prohibits the city from doing business with them.
Not to worry says Sheriff Gary. The top cops of the county–chiefs of Boise, Meridian, Garden City, and the sheriff have three proposals in the works. Currently the sheriff has a range on county land off Old Highway 55, but expansion of the landfill will eat that up in the near future.
Potential alternative sites include:
–The National Guard pistol range on Gowen Road, but it will take approval from Washington.
–Airport land owned by Boise City which will need to be built from the ground up.
–A site on county land near the existing facility, but not subject to landfill use.
The joint departments were all set to purchase the commercial SHOOTING WORLD, but the offer to sell was taken off the table when someone with more cash came along. That has prompted the talks for the alternative shooting ranges.
The GUARDIAN contacted the LAPD which has a shooting range they run at no taxpayer expense for maintenance and operation. “The Harbor Range” is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC as well as officers from the plethora of police agencies in the area. (for you non library types plethora is “excess or overabundance”)
The Harbor Range is a certified police range operated by the police department and –get this–it is open to the public daily! Visiting cops or civilians pay $5 a head for up to four hours of shooting time. The range is supervised by police range masters and serves as a good training ground and meeting place for police and public alike.
We like the idea of public access for a fee. Perhaps there actually are some good things to come out of California!
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Feb 14, 2006, 8:51 am
GENIOUS!!! Any of you Statists/Socialists reading this? Read, learn, apply. GREAT IDEA!!! What about the Blacks Creek Shooting Range? I’m certain the owners would like to make a little money off of this? Its a great place and already set up. It might be a little far for some officers to drive. Maybe they could carpool and save even more tax money.
Feb 15, 2006, 5:02 am
I am curious about the two officers who bought the property. Did they buy it under the assumption that they could continue getting revenue from the Boise Police Dept? It also surprises me that two Boise police officers could afford to buy such a property.
My graduating class had a reunion at the property some time ago and I remember that just the clubhouse is quite large. How much real estate is involved here?
As usual the media doesn’t seem to be able to deliver all the news, just bits and pieces.
Feb 15, 2006, 11:28 am
Are you considering other offers to purchase this property?