Monterey PD Hoping To Build Shooting Range

A shooting range for the Monterey Police Department could be built on property near the city sewer plant on Woodcliff Road.

Mayor Bill Wiggins said the town pursued the idea several years ago, but the plans came to a halt.

“I was approached by Sergeant Larry Bates, who teaches the firearms training class for our police department. He indicated they were still looking for a range,” Wiggins said. “I told him to proceed because they can indeed co-exist down there with the sewer operator right now. The amount of acres down there, it would accommodate both.”

Monterey Police Chief Bill Randolph said he supports the plans because the department does not have a shooting range at this time.

“When it’s time for us to qualify, we use a private range that the state has approved or we go to Outdoor Junction and use their indoor range,” Randolph said. “It would just us more opportunities to shoot instead of having to use someone else’s range.”

Randolph said a previous police department administration began work at the location before the plans hit a pause.

“They’ve done a little bit of dozier work, clearing out some trees and stuff like that,” Wiggins said.

Randolph said more work would need to be conducted at the site to get the range up to codes and standards.