Nearby firing range qualifies more Mahoning deputies in less time

By PETER H. MILLIKEN

milliken@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

With their own firing range near headquarters, Mahoning County deputy sheriffs can now train more fully and in less time.

“We’ve become a better-trained department using less resources than we were in the past,” said Sgt. Steven Lindow, head firearms instructor at the range, which is off West Avenue near the Mahoning River.

“Being this close to the sheriff’s department, we can qualify a lot more guys with a lot less time,” Lindow said, referring to the county jail at 110 Fifth Ave., where most deputies are based.

The proximity of the range to headquarters reduces travel time and puts the deputies back on their regular jobs sooner, said Deputy Robert Russo, vice president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 141, which sponsors the range.

Before the Youngstown range opened in the summer of 2013, the deputies had to schedule their firing time and travel to an Austintown range that was crowded with law enforcement personnel from other agencies.That range closed last year, Russo said.

More than 300 Mahoning County deputy sheriffs must demonstrate proficiency annually on the firing range to retain their authorization to carry guns, Russo said.

“It’s really a convenience thing. We’ve never had our own range before, and this is a great thing,” said Sheriff Jerry Greene. “It’s our range the entire year,” he added.

“We also encourage everybody to come shoot as much as they possibly can above and beyond the minimum requirements,” Lindow said.

The opening of the range was facilitated by Bruce Zoldan, B.J. Alan Fireworks Co. president, who leases the land to the deputies for $1 a year; Youngstown State University, which donated soil excavated from its athletic complex west of Fifth Avenue; and Ohio Edison, which donated and anchored into the ground the utility poles that hold targets.

The excavated earth now forms the 18-foot-high,

U-shaped embankment that absorbs bullet slugs behind the targets.

The city of Youngstown also exempted the range from the city’s ban on discharging firearms within city limits.

Deputies perform a variety of weapons-related exercises at the range, using handguns, shotguns and Tasers.

Up to four deputies can shoot simultaneously.

At the range, they practice firing from a cruiser, using a cruiser as protective cover in a gunbattle, entry and exit from a cruiser in an armed confrontation, how to prevent someone from snatching their guns, and how to use a firearm if one arm becomes disabled.

“We try to put them in a real live scenario, instead of just shooting at a paper target,” Lindow said.

Besides deputy sheriffs, Jackson Township, city of Youngstown and YSU Police have used the range.

“As long as the firearms officer’s available to be there, we’ll open it up for them,” Russo said of officers from other departments.