A new law enforcement training range has been proposed in Dublin, and many residents are doing everything in their power to stop the build.

On Tuesday, June 20, approximately 165 Dublin residents gathered in the Town Hall parking lot to voice their concerns regarding a proposal to build a training range for the Dublin Police Department. According to Select Board members, more attended this public hearing than last year’s Town Meeting.

Dublin Police Chief Tim Suokko proposed a plan last month to build a training range exclusive to law enforcement. According to Suokko, the proposal involves a 150 foot by 60 foot training range, including a backstop and berm to catch bullets. The proposed site is a portion of Cobb Meadow Road, currently occupied by Dublin Sand and Gravel LLC. Suokko said the proposed facility would be approximately 243 yards away from the closest dwelling.

Suokko said the proposal includes five or more department-wide low-light training sessions per year with Dublin’s six officers. Each session will incorporate active attacker training, taser and pepper spray training, Jaws of Life training, breach training and defensive tactics.

Suokko said the town has the budget for each officer to receive 100 rounds of ammunition per training session. For each low-light training session, which will be from dusk till dark, Suokko said approximately 600 rounds of ammunition would go off in a one- to two-hour span.

However, Suokko said the neighboring police departments in Harrisville and Marlborough are welcome to join the training sessions, which would increase the number of rounds of ammunition used.

Suokko said the proposal was influenced by the rising number of incidents nationwide from 2021 to present day. 

“The biggest threats are active attacker events in schools, malls and houses of worship. We also see violent attacks on law enforcement, and it’s becoming more and more prevalent,” said Suokko.

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According to FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) program, approximately 43,649 officers were assaulted while performing their duties in 2021.

Suuko said Dublin Police have personally fired zero shots during active duty in the last five years.

After Suokko finished discussing the proposal, dozens of community members took to the mic. One community member expressed concern about how the facility would affect the town’s appeal for young families interested in moving to Dublin.

“Are we prepared as a town to decimate the community? No one is going to want to move to this town if we have a training facility,” said Planning Board member Kirsten Colantino.

Others questioned Dublin’s need for a training facility, due to the town’s small population and size of the police department.

“So far, I’m having a hard time finding this to be a necessity in Dublin and in a residential neighborhood. We support [the police] even if we don’t support this proposal,” said resident TraceymayKalvaitis.

By a show of hands, the vast majority said they were against the proposal.

But, some said they were in favor of the proposal to better prepare law enforcement for an active attacker situation.

“God forbid we have an incident, shame on you! I support them, I support them!” said resident Rita Jedrey-Mattson.

One community member has gathered 100 signatures from Dublin residents to request a special Town Meeting to encourage the entire town to weigh in on the proposal. Wearing a shirt that said “No Bullets in our Backyard,” Molly Pinney said she is determined to get a special Town Meeting in order to stop the town and the department from building the range close to her home.

“I am a homeowner in town and I have a baby. When I received the proposal, I was shocked to hear most of the town didn’t know. It’s disappointing. This proposal can not be passed quietly, we do not want this in our town,” said Pinney.

According to Suokko, no public hearing related to the training range has been scheduled. If the town accepts the request for a Special Town Meeting from Pinney, Dublin residents will have a chance to deliberate the proposal before next March’s Town Meeting.