'Agree To Disagree': Residents, Police At Odds Over Long Valley Shooting Range

LONG VALLEY, N.J. – While the idea is still conceptual, it seems the Washington Township Police Department and a group of Long Valley residents will agree to disagree when it comes to establishing a potential outdoor shooting range for police officer training.

In a statement released last week, the residents, now organized as Long Valley Concerned Citizens, LLC, outlined several reasons why they are opposed to the proposed range, which would be situation at the northern end of Reservoir Road near Route 46.

“The proposed firing range raises numerous safety, environmental, quality of life and property value concerns for local families,” said Michael Mixon, spokesperson for Long Valley Concerned Citizens in the statement. “We support the need of our excellent Washington Township Police officers for training and encourage the town to explore more viable options; other Police Departments utilize shared service arrangements with facilities already available and operational in Morris County to ensure these needs are met.”

Police Chief Jeff Almer and Officer Scott Meyers have spearheaded the research behind the range on behalf of the department and have already made a presentation to the Washington Township Committee. The next step is for the Morris County Open Space Preservation Committee to see the proposal and give approval. If that governing body chooses to deny the proposal, the process stops there.

See related:

• Police Look To Build Shooting Range In Long Valley
• Cops Detail Shooting Range Idea, Residents Launch Opposition Petition

If the county gives the go-ahead, it’s on to the Washington Township Planning Board, who would have the final say.

“When this all began to grow as an idea last year, we knew there would be concerned residents and those opposed,” Almer told Patch. “But this isn’t going to be an open shooting range or a gun club. It’s proposed for police officer use only who train six to eight times a year. It is possible an officer could go down there and practice – and we want them to do that – a few times a year for 20 minutes or so.”

There are currently 28 officers on staff at the police department from rookies up to the chief. In order to train officers currently go to the Morris County Police Academy in Parsippany, which comes with a cost and overtime to police officers.

One of the major sticking points for Almer is to have his officers well-trained in active shooter situations and the ability to use rifles on-duty when necessary.

The Concerned Citizens group says there are about 300 homes within a three-fourths of a mile radius, and another 300 within a full mile of the proposed site, which raises safety concerns in the event of a stray or ricocheting bullet, especially when using a high-powered rifle for training that has the potential to shoot ammunition more than a mile away.

The group also notes environmental and quality of life concerns, saying the noise of shooting will “disturb the peace and quiet of Long Valley/Mt. Olive countryside and intrude on the life of local families.”

Almer said the when speaking with the Department of Environmental Protection, the baseline for keeping lead from a water way is 300 feet. The proposed range was shifted to accommodate that mandate, Almer said, and now fulfills the standard requested by the DEP.

Almer said he also had officers go to the proposed location and had other officers stationed in areas where noise could potentially be an issue. His officers at the range fired blanks – bullets without lead – and reported muffled sounds in the Brittany Manor area but no sign of noise going up the hill on Spring Lane or Mission Road. The chief did say more formal testing would have to be done before the proposal came to fruition.

The citizens group says documentation from other shooting ranges demonstrates that nearby properties are very likely to experience significant drops in value, and a loss in tax revenue would outweigh the purported savings the town is trying to achieve from building the range.

Almer said part of the research conducted included speaking with three real estate agents who serve the Long Valley and Chester areas. They told police that an outdoor gun range, to their knowledge, could potentially impact a buyer, but would not impact the value of a home in the area.

All materials used to construct the range would come from police officers or the Washington Township PBA. No funds are being sought from the township committee.

Almer said anyone who would like to ask more questions or express concerns can reach out to him at 908-876-8301.

The Morris County Open Space Preservation Committee meeting on April 20 at 7:30 p.m. will discuss the shooting range.