(Ventura) Grand Jury says Santa Paula didn't have legal agreement for firing range

By John Scheibe

Posted June 20, 2011 at 11:52 a.m.

The Ventura County Grand Jury released a report last week recommending the city of Santa Paula close a temporary firing range used by police for training purposes.

But the range, located off South Mountain Road, has been closed for some months, Steve MacKinnon, Santa Paula's chief of police, said on Friday.

MacKinnon said his department decided not to use the range after it became clear that numerous permits would be needed from the county to continue its operation, something he said did not justify the cost of its usage.

Santa Paula police instead entered into a temporary agreement with the Seabees to use their range at Point Mugu, MacKinnon said.

In its report, the Grand Jury criticized the city for failing to adequately consider "the appropriateness of the (South Mountain) site." The city also failed to have an adequate legal agreement with the owner of the land for use of the site as a firing range, the report said.

"As of the end of April 2011, there was no signed agreement or any other document, such as a hold harmless agreement, that had been executed by the city regarding this temporary range," the Grand Jury's stated in its report. "Live firing ranges have inherent operating dangers and associated liabilities that require careful consideration."

Police and city officials are looking at opening a permanent shooting facility for the department within the city of Santa Paula, MacKinnon said.

"We've identified a possible site and we've already done quite a bit of planning in identifying what kind of environmental and other permits will be needed," he said.

Santa Paula police once used the Ventura shooting range for target practice. But they had to find a new site after the Ventura range closed in 2006.

Police then used a privately owned facility. But it closed in 2010 because of neighbors' complaints.

Santa Paula police then began using the South Mountain site, MacKinnon said.

Police in California are required to train at a range a minimum of eight hours a year under guidelines established by the California Police Officers Standards and Training.

The Santa Paula City Council approved the use of the South Mountain range in September 2010.

Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jun/20/grand-jury-says-santa-paula-didnt-have-legal-for/#ixzz1QDGfBNwN