Meeting Notes 080116 - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 x Research what the three municipalities have in place x Distance restrictions. x Have law enforcement use safety guidelines when responding to noise complaints. Perceptions x Provide information so the non-shooting public will understand what is in place about: o Firearms safety o What is in County ordinances o Law enforcement’s role x Offer courses for young people on firearms safety and ethics, perhaps as part of a community shooting rangethat may be associated with the firefighter and law enforcement training center under early discussions by the County. x Set up a training range for young people, perhaps in the basement of an existing Sheriff’s Office facility. x Consider how the NC Wildlife Commission’s hunter safety programaddresses perceptions; and make use of what’sgood in that approach to address negative perceptionsabout firearms safety more generally. x Partner with NC Wildlife Commission to reach out to community groups and at community events on firearms safety. Bring out the mobile pellet range. x An effective noise ordinance will lower community perceptions that a firearms safety problem exists. Clarification of Ideas The Committee then discussed these ideas. Mr. Kirkland noted that there has not been much property damage or injuries from errant projectiles. Unfortunately the possibility exists, he said, making it worth considering an ordinance that would prohibit shooting that resulted in a round crossing a property line. The Buckhorn Gun Club, off of Mt. Willard Road, is the only commercial shooting range operating in Orange County of which Committee members are aware.It is a private club that limits its membership and isn’t open to the general public. Ms. Barksdale said earlier she had found online a commercial range near Dodson’s Crossroads but the website no longer appears to be available. In reply to a question, Mr. Roberts said about a dozen other counties in North Carolina have firearms safety ordinances. Most regulate by distance (from a property line, road, or building), perhaps two regulate by noise. He agreed to share copies of the other counties’ ordinances with the Committee. Ms. Conti said she had copiesof ordinances from Lenoir, Johnston, Cabarrus, Polk, Harnett, Mecklenburg, Wake, and Randolph counties; she thinks this is not an exhaustive set of North Carolina counties with firearms ordinances. She said that distance puts “the teeth” in the regulations, and should be based on whatis known about how far a projectile can travel. Mr. Hunnell said that he has looked at firearms safety regulations from states other than North Carolina; although some have noise limits and distances from schools and other structures, they are all very similar in that their approach is to contain the projectile.