After decades of shooting into an earthen bank on a 12-acre piece of land next to the Tennessee River, local law enforcement officers are forced to find a new place for target practice.
The Moccasin Bend National Park site will revert to the park by the end of the year, according to an agreement signed about 30 years ago. The site is used as a training ground for law enforcement shooting, tactical maneuvers and disposal of explosive materials.
Chattanooga and Hamilton County officials soon must begin the process of selecting a new location and allocating funds for a new gun range. Officials hope to construct a facility that would cost between $3 million to $4 million and include 25 stalls for officers to qualify in firearms. The structure may include office space, classroom space and a gun vault.
Two locations are under consideration — the old farmer’s market building on East 12th Street just behind the police precinct now under construction and the Army Reserve site on East 23rd Street.
The city and county already have acquired a federal grant for a little more than $1 million to pay for a bullet trap that would collect lead and brass from the bullets, allowing the metal to be sold.