2009-10-13 CCPD PacketCity of Southlake Department of Public Safety
Indoor Gun Range & Training Facility Assessment
Analysis
Prepared for the Crime Control and Prevention District Board
October, 2009
Background
The registered voters of the City of Southlake passed a '/2 cent sales tax for the
purposes of funding a crime control and prevention district in 1996. The
collection of the tax began in 1997 and was originally authorized for five years.
Prior to the end of the District's term the voters renewed the District for an
additional fifteen years allowing the tax to be collected until 2017.
The main focus of the Crime Control and Prevention District (CCPD) is the
purchasing of land and construction of facilities to meet the public safety needs of
the City of Southlake. To date they have purchased land and constructed the
DPS West Facility at 2100 W. Southlake Blvd., purchased additional land and
funded the construction of a new DPS Headquarters building at 600 State St.,
and purchased land and begun the design of the DPS North Facility located on
the northeast corner of East Dove Rd. and White Chapel Blvd.
The DPS North facility will contain a fire station, training rooms, an auditorium,
driving pad, training tower and indoor gun range to facilitate the training needs of
the employees of the Southlake Department of Public Safety. Having a single
location for training of public safety employees will ensure higher quality, more
consistent training opportunities while reducing travel time and overtime required
for training conducted outside the City of Southlake. The construction of this
facility is consistent with the strategy of both the CCPD and the Southlake City
Council.
Integrity - Innovation - Accountability - Commitment to Excellence - Teamwork 2
The City of Southlake provides municipal services that support the highest quality of
• life for our residents and businesses. We do this by delivering outstanding value and
unrivaled quality in everything that vie do.
C1 Achieve the C2 Provide travel C3 Provide attractive C4Attract and keep top -tier'
• highest standards of convenience within and unique spaces for businesses to drive a
safety and security city and region enjoyment of personal dynamic and sustainable
-- --- - interests economicenvironme
B1 Implement and 32 Collaborate with B3 Pursue 134 Provide high 05 Optimize
share best practices select partners to innovative service duality customer use of
cross all departments implement service delivery optons seruloe_ echno�o y ,^
F1 Achieve F2 Maintain or F3Invest to provide and F4 Maxim
competitive fnancial improve AA bond maintain high quality return on
• s rating public assets investments'
n o • • eop e t rice , L3:A racy 'Recognize opportunities
, for artne .understand the leadership develop and and p rshilp
tegy and how they capabilities to retain a skilled reward high and volunteer involvement{.
• a contribute to it deliver results . workforce performers (individual and group)
RA
Population Data:
The City of Southlake has experienced tremendous growth over the past twenty
years. While current projections show the growth slowing we anticipate steady
rises in population over the next 15 years. The North Central Texas Council of
Governments (NCTCOG) provides population data and estimates for the DFW
Metroplex. City staff uses their projections and the analysis of the master plan
for land use to fine tune these projections.
The total population of the City of Southlake in 2000 was recorded by the United
States Census Bureau at 21,519. The January 1, 2009 estimated population as
provided by the Department of Economic Development is 26,650-1 a population
increase of 23.8%.
Integrity - Innovation - Accountability - Commitment to Excellence - Teamwork 3
Population estimates from the NCTCOG for the City of Southlake in the years
2010, 2020, and 2030 are listed below.
2010 2020 2030
27,414 33,553 41,185
With the increase in residential population and the continued growth in
commercial and retail development the number of police officers required to
protect and serve the City will also increase.
Projected Police Services Staffing:
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) publishes Local Police Departments
report. This report contains excellent and highly reliable data on state and local
police personnel throughout the United States. One aspect of this report is the
average ratio of full time officers per 1,000 residents. The most recent BJS data
on this topic (2003), by size of population served follows:
Population Served
*FT Officers per 1,000 Residents
250,000 or more 2.5 10,000 to 24,999 2.0
100,000 to 249,999 1.9 2,500 to 9,999 2.2
50,000 to 99,999
1.8
1,000 to 2,499
2.6
25,000 to 49,999
1.8
All Sizes
2.5
Integrity - Innovation - Accountability - Commitment to Excellence - Teamwork 4
While there are many variables beyond just population which ultimately
determine the ratio of full time officers per 1,000 residential population this model
does serve as a good tool to project future officer needs. Currently Southlake
Police has 54 sworn officers or 2.2 officers per 1,000 residential population. As
you can see this is slightly higher than the 1.8 officers typical of a community our
size. The main reason for the higher number is our population density compared
to the number of miles required to effectively patrol and respond to emergency
calls in the City.
Using the model above and our current staffing ratio as comparison points you
would expect our full time officer count to be between 74 and 90 officers at build -
out. Looking at these projections you would expect a reduction from our current
ratio of 2.2 officers per 1000 residents. Therefore, for the purposes of this study
will assume a ratio of 2.0 officers per 1000 residents. In projecting the use of an
indoor gun range for the Southlake Department of Public Safety that would
assume a sworn strength of 82 officers as the maximum number of sworn
officers this agency will employ. It is important to note that as a Department of
Public Safety there are members of Fire Services also commissioned as peace
officers that are required to qualify with a duty weapon. Currently this number is
seven.
Current Range Use:
Southlake Department of Public Safety currently utilizes two ranges for firearms
training and qualifications; DFW Airport indoor range and Grapevine Police
Department outdoor range. The range at DFW continues to see increasing usage
as they now allow pilots and federal agencies to lease the space where
previously they only leased time to local law enforcement agencies. The current
rate for leasing the DFW Airport range is $125 per hour. Currently we budget
$8,000 per year for rental use of the DFW Airport indoor range which allows for
an annual qualification shoot for all sworn personnel and any remedial and make -
Integrity - Innovation - Accountability - Commitment to Excellence - Teamwork 5
up shoots that are required. The Grapevine PD range is available for use at no
charge due to a training agreement we have with their agency, but our use is
subject to scheduling at times they and other local law enforcement agencies are
not utilizing the range. Ideally we would utilize the range at DFW Airport for our
four shoots, but the impact on our training budget would be too great. Both
facilities require travel outside the City to allow firearms training for officers,
reducing the number of officers available to respond to calls for service. The
current use of these ranges requires scheduling four months in advance to be
able to secure range times. Obviously the unpredictable weather poses some
difficulty with the Grapevine range as there is no shelter available at their
location. Another consideration with the Grapevine range is the impact on the
environment. There is no filtration in the outdoor environment and the lead from
our ammunition lodges directly in an earthen berm directly behind the targets
which could lead to soil contamination in the area.
Travel Time:
An important consideration for the construction of the indoor range in Southlake
is the travel time savings that will be realized by not utilizing ranges outside the
City. The drive time to each range currently used is approximately 20 minutes
which adds an additional 40 minutes of time where officers are unavailable for
calls when on -duty. These locations also prove less convenient for our off -duty
personnel as most of our officers live south and west of our city; therefore, the
ranges located east of us prove to increase their travel time on their days off.
Equipment:
Our range personnel also must load ammunition, weapons, and supplies prior to
traveling to and from the range since neither range has storage for our supplies
and equipment. The opening of a local range will allow proper storage and
immediate retrieval of supplies. It will also allow the Department to schedule
Integrity - Innovation - Accountability - Commitment to Excellence - Teamwork 6
additional practice time for officers to remain proficient with their weapon as on -
duty officers can be rotated through the range during their shift.
Overview of Modern Indoor Ranges:
A modern indoor firearms range is typically constructed using two options. The
first is a Reclining Gran Trap which is a granulated rubber backstop. This
backstop captures fired rounds intact versus creating fragments as is the case
when using a metal backstop. By capturing the round intact virtually no lead dust
or bullet fragmentation is deposited in the air. This greatly improves the air quality
in the range and improves the life of the air filtration system which reduces
maintenance costs. During regularly scheduled maintenance, spent bullets are
separated from the granulated rubber for proper disposal.
Another option for indoor ranges is the utilization of a Total Containment Trap. TM
A "Funnel Trap Design" is the safest and cleanest available and minimizes bullet
fragmentation via use of deceleration chamber technology with enhanced
ventilation (HEPA filtration collection). The utilization of this option increases
range availability as you do not have to shut down the range for periodic
maintenance. Utilization of the reclining gran bullet trap design described above
requires the range operation to be shut down for a few days each year while the
rubber and bullet fragments are cleaned and collected from the range.
The filtration system in a modern range consists of three filters. The primary filter
removes the larger particles, while the intermediate filter further refines the air
quality. The final filter is a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. After the
air passes through the final filter it meets or exceeds all State, Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), and Occupational Health and Safety Administration
(OSHA) standards. These filters are continuously monitored by an air flow sensor
which indicates the requirement for filter replacement when airflow is restricted.
Integrity - Innovation - Accountability - Commitment to Excellence - Teamwork 7
The life of the filters is dependant on the number of rounds fired and whether the
system utilizes direct ventilation or re -circulates the air.
Range Maintenance:
Assuming we allow other agencies to utilize the range on a fee based system we
would expect to incur maintenance costs comparable to ranges operational 300
days per year
MDS Caswell and Action Targets are the two largest suppliers of bullet trap and
filtration systems in the United States. The MDS Caswell system utilizes the
granulated rubber backstop and requires a regularly scheduled maintenance
system to remove and separate the bullet fragments from the rubber and change
the air filters. The air filtration service cost is approximately $500 per visit or
$1,500 per year. In addition every year a complete clean out of the bullet trap is
required which currently costs approximately $8,000. These figures place the
annual maintenance costs on this range configuration at $9,500.
The Action Targets Total Containment Trap system does not require the ongoing
maintenance costs associated with removing the lead contaminants from the
trap, but has a higher upfront cost. Also, the fact that less air re-enters the range
allows for annual air filtration service. This translates to annual maintenance
costs of approximately $500. This option also allows the range to be operational
more days each year. A rough estimate of cost indicates that after seven years
the Action Target system would pay for the difference in start-up costs in seven
years.
Locally the cities of Grand Prairie, Rockwall, Arlington, and Plano all utilize this
system locally and expressed complete satisfaction with their decision to use the
system compared to a granulated rubber system. It is therefore our
Integrity - Innovation - Accountability - Commitment to Excellence - Teamwork 8
recommendation that the Total Containment Trap be considered as the primary
choice for the trap system.
Overtime Considerations:
The ranges at DFW and Grapevine are only available for our use during daytime
hours. DFW Airport is available Monday — Friday from 8:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m. and
Grapevine from 8:00 a.m. to dusk Monday — Saturday. Due to our twelve hour
shifting patterns this requires half of our patrol officers to be paid overtime for
firearms qualifications. In FY 2010 we have budgeted $18, 900 for overtime
associated with firearms qualifications. Having a range available in Southlake will
allow our range master to flex time for both daytime and evening shoots. We
anticipate our range being available for use Monday — Saturday from 8:00 a.m. —
9.00 p.m., but will not allow later use due to the proximity of neighbors and the
traffic associated with coming and going from the range. We will also save
approximately 130 hours annually in travel time where our on -duty personnel are
not in the City during qualifications and therefore unavailable to take calls.
Another factor to consider is the cost associated with qualifications for personnel
that have graduated the police academy. Typically we hire 5-7 new officers per
year that require an initial qualification shoot. The cost to qualify each of these
officers is $250 for the two hours we occupy the DFW Airport range. This choice
is required due to the standardization of the course that is not possible if the
outdoor range were utilized for this function.
Regionalized Range Use:
At build -out we would have approximately 82 sworn officers employed at the City
of Southlake. This number of officers would utilize approximately 75 days of
range use each calendar year. This is an increase in what we currently use due
Integrity - Innovation - Accountability - Commitment to Excellence - Teamwork 9
to the fact that a local range will allow us to conduct remedial training with weak
shooters, hold practice days for officers, and offer shooter improvement courses
at no cost to the City of Southlake, since free seats are given by the companies
who teach these courses in exchange for the use of the facility. Currently our
weak shooters must try to improve their shooting ability on their own time which
often leads to multiple attempts prior to successfully qualifying. In a risk
assessment model the low frequency and high consequence associated with
shooting your duty weapon makes training a critical application of this tool.
Since there are no other police indoor ranges in Northeast Tarrant County except
for DFW Airport many agencies have agreements which cause them to
experience the same issues we have in terms of quality firearms training and
qualifications. In a survey of the local chiefs of police about using a range
constructed in Southlake the cities of Bedford, Roanoke, Keller, North Richland
Hills, Trophy Club, Hurst, and Colleyville indicate they are interested in using a
range constructed in Southlake and are willing to pay for such use.
There are two models which received the most positive feedback for range use: a
daily use fee and a flat rate based on a per officer figure. A private range which
had planned to open for public and law enforcement use in Roanoke shared their
pricing policy with me to allow figures to be developed for our range. Each figure
represents the maximum revenue using the method, with the most likely scenario
being something between the two figures as each agency will have different
needs for firearms qualification and training.
Daily Use:
Available Days
Cost per Day
Annual Revenue
235
$350
$82,250
Per Officer:
Total Sworn
Cost per Officer
Annual Revenue
372
$65
$24,180
Integrity - Innovation - Accountability - Commitment to Excellence - Teamwork 10
It is clear that utilizing a regional concept with the agencies that have expressed
an interest in our range will offset any operational or maintenance costs
associated with opening this facility. It is our recommendation that we utilize this
potential revenue stream to offset costs that otherwise would be borne by our
taxpayers.
Advantages of Constructing a Range:
0 Discontinued use of the DFW Airport Range — Savings $8,000 per year
0 Qualifications occur on duty minimizing overtime — Savings of $18,000 per
year
0 No packing and unpacking of equipment and supplies — Savings of 2 hours
per day of range use for Range masters and firearms instructors.
0 No travel time out of the City for range use — Savings of 130 hours per year
or the equivalent of $5,850 dollars.
4 Allows practice and shooter improvement programs for weak shooters
0 Officers remain in city and are available for immediate emergency response
0 Ability to host specialized firearms training at no cost to our agency
0 Improved shooting skills for officers
Revenue enhancement of up to $82,250 from renting facility to other
agencies
Decreased civil liability in the event of a use of force incident involving a
firearm because our officers will be better trained in the use of their
weapons.
Integrity - Innovation - Accountability - Commitment to Excellence - Teamwork I I
M.
Range Design Options: ��
01 2 LANE 50 YARD.0 LANE 25 YARD FIRING RANGE OPFION
ANE IT• 1'O
03 4 LANE 50 YARD B LANE 25 YARD FIRINC RANGE OPT N
�Z
Oz�
A-3.04
After consultation with surrounding agencies and careful review of our firearm
training and qualification needs; our recommendation is to construct a range with
eight (8) 25-yard stalls and two (2) 50-yard stalls. The 50-yard stalls are required
for patrol rifle qualification by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer
Standards and Education. This design will allow the air handling and filtration
system to be turned off when rifle qualifications are not occurring. The design
also minimizes the extra cost associated with constructing 50-yard lanes for
pistol training and qualification, the most often utilized function in a police
firearms range.
Integrity - Innovation - Accountability - Commitment to Excellence - Teamwork 12