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View Full Version : US Capitol cops abandon their shooting range after safety improvements cause unsafe conditions




Lucille
02-04-2016, 01:22 PM
LOL

http://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/ClaireWolfe/2016/02/03/in-the-dont-try-this-at-home-department/


U.S. Capitol cops have to abandon their shooting range after “safety” improvements caused unsafe conditions. (And what’s that about getting a little nick at the corner of your eye, fella? Not wearing your goggles, were you???) (H/T Jim Bovard)


The U.S. Capitol Police on Wednesday suspended the use of the department’s newly refurbished indoor firearms range in the Rayburn House Office building, a move the union said was taken because bullets fired at targets were bouncing back toward officers.
[...]
Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine would not describe the problem leading to the closure, but said upgrades to the gun range were to make it modern and state-of-the-art, as well as to improve safety features. “Obviously the safety of our officers is paramount, and any kinks or issues that need to be worked out will certainly be accomplished,” the chief said.

News of the closure came in a news release from the U.S. Capitol Police attributing the closure to “operational concerns.” The statement says the closure is temporary until “range designers identify and examine those concerns.”

A spokeswoman for the Capitol Police, Tasha M. Jamerson, described the problem as a “design issue” that is being investigated. She declined to elaborate. Jamerson did say that the decision to close the range was made “out of the utmost caution.”

A spokesman for the sergeant at arms, the chief law enforcement and protocol officer for the House of Representatives, referred questions to the Capitol Police.

The identity of the contractor or contractors who handled the gun range renovations and how much it cost could not immediately be determined on Wednesday. Laura R. Condeluci, a spokeswoman for the Architect of the Capitol, did not address that question in an email response and instead said only that her office is “aware of the issues with the firing range and are working with contractors to resolve them.”
[...]
The union head said that problems with the new range started almost immediately. He said that “as officers shot down range, bullets or fragments ricocheted and were coming back at them.”

He said officials told officers that “they did a run-through of the new range and told us it was safe. . . . I’m disappointed that the department was aware of this and they continued to operate the range.”

pcosmar
02-04-2016, 02:13 PM
is the contractor union too?

phill4paul
02-04-2016, 02:20 PM
“Obviously the safety of our officers is paramount, and any kinks or issues that need to be worked out will certainly be accomplished,” the chief said.

http://********************************/2013/10/miriam-carey.jpg

roho76
02-04-2016, 04:21 PM
Geez....it's not like this is an exact science or anything. There are examples all over the US for them to follow yet they try to reinvent the wheel. Color me surprised.

Lucille
02-04-2016, 05:03 PM
I know. I can't wait to hear who the contractor was and which idiot signed off on it.


Larry Arnold Says:
February 3rd, 2016

It’s too bad there isn’t some national organization, chartered back in 1871, that wrote the book (literally) on shooting range construction and has a bunch of people on a range technical team more than willing to consult for anyone building a facility.

LOL He posted that in the WaPo comments too.

A little more info from yahoo (http://news.yahoo.com/u-capitol-temporarily-shuts-police-gun-firing-range-220624443.html):


Last year, a gun problem of a different sort plagued Capitol Police following reports that on three occasions officers inadvertently left their guns in Capitol public restrooms.

"We are now providing additional training on what to do when you have to go to the bathroom," Chief Kim Dine was quoted telling Congress at the time.

SMH

presence
02-04-2016, 05:09 PM
We are now providing additional training on what to do when you have to go to the bathroom

I just read that didn't I.

W T F ?

Henry Rogue
02-04-2016, 05:26 PM
I just read that didn't I.

W T F ?

What will they teach? Shoot first, aim later?