Stowsentry.com - Letter: Disapproves of police firing range

On May 4, in a daring daylight maneuver, a Munroe Falls police officer placed a letter in my mailbox announcing the opening of the police firing range on May 5.

For those who did not receive this letter, the Stow police are shooting May 5 to 10, then Munroe Falls and Silver Lake on May 19 to 24. Also tentatively scheduled is Munroe Falls and Silver Lake for July 14 to 19 and Sept. 22 to 27, Stow for Sept. 15 to 20, and all three city forces for Oct. 6 to 11, plus anytime they feel like it. I guess the letter was meant to allow me time to plan for vacations out of town, although a 16-hour heads up (or heads down) was not much warning.

It seems pretty clear to me, after complaining for five years now, that none of these cities cares about the residents on Wilbur Drive, Jean Avenue, Gay Road and Castle Drive. They don't seem to care about napping infants, the sick, the elderly, people who work nights or people who just want a peaceful environment. They also don't seem to care about the hundreds of pounds of lead pumped into the ground over the years contaminating ground water or the river. They don't seem to care about military people returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder who could be traumatized by just being stopped at the Main and Munroe Falls light when one of the particularly loud barrages of gunfire occurs.

I believe that if Munroe Falls or Stow or Silver Lake government officials actually cared about people, they would stop using this firing range.

Shame on all of them.

Thomas A. Shubert

Munroe Falls

Posted by Stowbilly May 16, 2008

I agree with Dave44224. The officers are out on our streets everyday willing to take a bullet for me and my family! I want them trained to the fullest extent that they can! We don't live in Cleveland were shootings happen often but they have happened here! They need to be able to be prepared! I also agree with Dave44224 that if they could come and shoot in my back yard I would let them also! Maybe instead of complaining maybe we should start Thanking these fine officers that are protecting our lives! Making fun of them by stating a "daring daylight maneuver" not all jobs are glamerous but someone has to do them, you would be complaining even more if you had not recieved any letter! Everytime they put on their uniforms they are targets! There are crazy people out there just waiting for the perfect time to shoot an officer! I am proud of the men and women that protect our country and protect my city! I beieve that we all should be thanking them not critizing them! So I also say shame on you Mr. Shubert and thank you to all the police!

Posted by dave44224 May 15, 2008

What does this guy want, for the police not to qualify with firearms? Not only does it make sense for them to do so, its also required by the State of Ohio for all peace officers. Mr. Shubert complains that the police don't care about people that want a peaceful environment, but protecting your peaceful environment is exactly what the are trying to do. Who are you going to call when there is a suspicious person in your yard, or someone is breaking into your home? What if that person in your yard is armed and trying to do you harm? I'll bet that you want the officer responding to your call to be able to use his or her firearm to protect you.
Being able to use a firearm is not as easy as you might think, its not like TV. You might want to ask the veterans the were mentioned by Mr. Shubert how many thousand rounds the fired qualifying. If anyone can understand why the police are at the range its them, and its offensive that someone would use them as reasoning not to use the range.
As far as the lead contamination, it is quite likely that they are using environmentally friendly ammo that does not pose this problem.
I can understand that it may be a little inconvenient for someone that lives nearby that its noisy when they are shooting, but that's all it is, an inconvenience. These officers risk their lives for us just like the military people mentioned before. Instead of complaint about noise, how about "thank you"? The "not in my back yard" philosophy just doesn't work. Any time the police want to shoot in my back yard, they are welcome.....I'll would probably even offer them something cold to drink on a hot day.
Shame on you Mr. Shubert, and thank you to the police.