The Bayonne Police Department dedicated a new shooting range. Like the previous range, the new one is named in honor of Sgt. James Shea, who died in the line of duty in 1969.
The old police range was constructed on the upper level of 16th Street Park in the 1960’s. According to retired Detective Vinnie Lobue, a former range master, at that time, police officers themselves built the facility, with support from local businesses.
The range gives police the opportunity to be trained in the use of firearms so they can receive certification to use a gun.
The Bayonne Police Department used the old range from the 1960’s until eight years ago, when the range was closed. A new range needed to be built in order to meet today’s environmental standards. During the past several years, the Bayonne Police Department had to send its officers to other municipalities for training, including Jersey City and Union Township. A press release from the city states, “Various financial issues, construction challenges, supply chain difficulties, and the Coronavirus pandemic held up the completion of a new police range. During those years, the department had to pay for each officer to train out-of-town twice each year.”
Range master, Sgt. Matthew McGillis, says the new range is “state-of-the-art” and has much more room than the previous one did and it meets all current standards. McGillis stated that the new facility can handle training with rifles, and that the range offers training for seven officers at a time. The new facility has an enlarged office, along with locker and shower facilities.
Public Safety Director Robert Kubert called the time it took to construct a new range “a tough, long road.” He cited the new roof and the new heating-ventilation-air conditioning (HVAC) systems as important features of the new range. Director Kubert said it was “very expensive” to transport officers elsewhere for training before the completion of the new range. He thanked Mayor Jimmy Davis, the City Council Members, and the Bayonne Finance Department for their efforts to complete the new range.
Is the range also open for citizens of Bayonne?