Stafford Scraps Plan For Police Shooting Range

STAFFORD, NJ — Stafford Township officials have scrapped plans for a police shooting range following public outcry over the proposed location.

A workshop to review plans for the outdoor range on July 29 has been canceled as officials said they are considering alternative options.

The proposed range would have been constructed in Lot 6.01 of Block 51, near the Island Woods Estates development. (See the area on a map here).

During a council meeting on July 13, several residents acknowledged the police department's need for the range but were concerned about how noise from the range would impact the quality of life for nearby homes and schools.

"We have received the input from the community and we have determined that is not the ideal site for the shooting range," Mayor Greg Myhre said via a video announcement. "There’s an area that was cleared. It seemed like a good spot. However, it was near quite a few homes."

Myhre said the limited amount of usable space in the township led to the selection of that site.

Sites in Warren Grove, areas across from Ocean Acres, areas along Route 9 and a location near the Municipal Building were also studied as potential destinations for the shooting range.

However, after comprehensive evaluations the alternative sites were not approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection due to a combination of wildlife and space regulations.

“We also looked at the location that was proposed for the workshop on July 29,” said Township Administrator Matthew von der Hayden. “That was where we received jurisdictional determination from the DEP to just go ahead and build the facility. Rather than just go ahead, we wanted to get community input before that moved forward and that was the reason for the workshop.”

During the presentation, Police Chief Thomas Dellane also addressed the police department's need for a shooting range in the township.

Stafford police currently use the Ocean Township Police Department’s firearms facility, but the range is heavily utilized, which provides limited availability when officers need to complete their training.

“We are still going to continue to pursue other options and see what we can do," Myhre said.

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