CARIBOU, Maine — All law enforcement training conducted at the Grimes Road shooting range has been suspended, and the city council indicated that the suspension will remain until it’s been determined that the range meets the National Rifle Association (NRA) guidelines; council also approved investigation into training alternatives that include sending Caribou Police Officers to privately owned gun ranges for their annual training.
A petition about the range, containing fewer than 30 signatures, was brought to the council during their last meeting in September by Grimes Mill Road resident Jamie Bell, who owns a home near the range.
“Since that time, none of the petition’s safety or noise concerns have been improved, and even though council agreed I brought up valid concerns, shooting has continued and actually has increased tremendously since that time,” Bell told the Council during their Oct. 14 meeting. A handful of concerned citizens also attended the meeting with Bell and vocalized their safety and noise concerns regarding the range.
Caribou Police Chief Michael Gahagan was unable to attend the meeting, but did submit a letter to the councilors apprising them of the situation at the range. He stated that the city does have a contract with the U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Customs that generates $3,000 in revenue for the city yearly, but explained that he could not provide information to anyone revealing who is using the range, time of use or what weapons are being used because of the contracts the city has.
“Since the last meeting, a gate has been installed along with ‘No Trespassing’ signs. Anyone caught trespassing on the property will be issued a warning or a summons to court,” the chief wrote, outlining further plans to secure the site.
Securing the property, however, would not be enough to appease the citizens who attended the meeting — one of whom even vocalized her objection by stating a sign and a chain do nothing to stop the public from using the range.
Caribou Mayor Gary Aiken questioned the concerned group as to whether or not they would be satisfied if the city were to rectify all their safety concerns, and many indicated that the noise would still be a factor for them.
“I think the real problem is the noise, to tell you the truth,” Aiken said. “If we did everything to make it safe … I saw a bunch of hands go up back there that said they’re still not going to be happy,” he explained. “I don’t want to spend a bunch of money if it ends up that we’re going to have to do away with (the shooting range).”
Jessica Bell spoke on this matter during the public input portion of the meeting, describing how the noise of the gunfire frightened her daughters.
“To put it simply, we were here first. The shooting range moved in on us without any warning, without any conversation, without any consideration for the citizens until we first brought our concerns to you,” she told the council. “The shooting range on the Grimes Road has changed our quality of life; it is a disturbance to the peace and security that my family has always had, and it is something that will continue to cause me worry until it is shut down.”
In his letter, Chief Gahagan had outlined the findings from noise testing conducted during on of the training exercises.
He indicated that a noise level was measured from directly across the street from where the shooting takes place; the sound meter showed spikes in the decibel level between 7 and 12. On the Grimes Mill Road, similar measurements were taken and showed spikes of 5 to 8 decibels.
With ambient (normal) sound levels registered between 20 and 30 decibels, testing showed that gunfire did not exceed 40 decibels. In comparison, the letter outlined, a passing car traveling at a moderate speed showed a sound level of 55 decibels or higher.
For concerned citizen James Cushman, the decibels did not accurately depict the noise level.
“I read the report that’s going to be given later on, and they talked about the decibel level … well, I know this: I’m 300 feet from a road that’s down over a hill, I cannot hear any cars on the road inside my house. I can hear the snowplow once and a while when it comes by in the wintertime. I can hear that gunfire every single time it goes off, inside the house,” Cushman said. “It’s a different type of noise. You can hear it, and it is kind of disconcerting.”
The citizens also cited conflicting information on the height of the berm behind the shooting targets — Chief Gagahan’s figures indicated a height of 20 feet, while Jamie Bell produced maps from USDA showing the berm at 12 feet.
“The chief certainly understands that there are concerns about the location of the range, but we’re trying to go above and beyond to ensure that it is safe,” manager Austin Bleess said. Bleess also reiterated, from the Chief’s letter, that the land directly behind the range is owned by a farmer who is agreeable to the city’s use of the range.
“Hunting is also allowed on the (farmland) … which is much closer to the residents of the Grimes Mill properties,” he specified.
The council voted to suspend operations at the location until it was confirmed that the range met NRA standards; regarding the contracts for usage of the range, Bleess clarified yesterday that the city’s contract with U.S. Customs and Border Protection had a 90-day out clause.
