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21 <br /> Attachment 3 <br /> OFFICE OF THE ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF <br /> r <br /> vQP <br /> Sheriff Charles S.Blackwood <br /> 106 East Margaret L<me <br /> Hillsborough,North Carolina 2727 <br /> Hillsborough Chapel Hill Fax <br /> (919)644-3050 (919)942-6300 (919)732 6403 <br /> Memorandum <br /> To: Orange County Board of Commissioners <br /> Orange County Planning Board <br /> From: Sheriff Charles S. Blackwood <br /> Date: September 24, 2015 <br /> Re: Response to September 8,2015 Quarterly Public Hearing Questions regarding the <br /> Discharge of Firearms <br /> When Central Communications relays a call for service associated with the discharge of <br /> firearms, the Orange County Sheriff's Office's ("Sheriff's Office") standard operating procedure <br /> requires the response of the appropriate area deputy. Once the deputy arrives at the property which <br /> is the subject of the complaint, he or she will attempt to locate and make contact with any <br /> individuals who may be there. If successful, the deputy informs them of the complaint and engages <br /> them in conversation to better assess the situation. A criminal history may be conducted of the <br /> individuals located at the property and firearms' serial numbers may be checked. <br /> If weapons are being discharged at a shooting range on the property, the deputy will inspect <br /> the backstop to determine whether it provides adequate protection for the ammunition being fired. <br /> The deputy may suggest improvements be made to the backstop. At the end of the encounter, the <br /> deputy thanks the individuals he or she spoke with for their time and clears the property. Often, the <br /> deputy's visit to the property sufficiently addresses the complaint and minimizes the likelihood of <br /> future calls for service to the property. <br /> Enforcement <br /> The Sheriff's Office is charged with enforcing the Orange County Noise Ordinance, Chapter <br /> 16, Article 3. The Ordinance prohibits, inter alia, "unreasonably loud and disturbing noise" as <br /> defined therein. Maximum permissible standards by receiving land are established for continuous, <br /> regular, frequent, or intermittent source of sound produced by any activity. Sound level meters are <br /> used to determine compliance with the Ordinance. The discharge of firearms, however,is exempted <br /> from the standards but only as permitted by state law and county regulations. Absent an allegation <br />