As many of you know, noise from the open air police firing has been disturbing neighbors and park users for 40 years. If you haven't heard it, the noise in parts of the park and neighborhood is loud enough to stifle conversation and frequently sounds like automatic weapons. In May, training at the range was scheduled for 19 of 23 weekdays, frequently at times when kids could hear it while waiting for their school bus or playing at a playground or in their yard after school. Given the recent increases in gun violence, mass shootings, and threats against schools, and given that guns are now the leading cause of death for children and teens, it is not surprising that we’ve heard over and over that the sound of gunfire from the range triggers anxiety and fear in residents, park users, and their children. Due to a recent petition to close the firing range, this problem has recently been covered in the Post Gazette and on WPXI.

We don't view this as a police issue, but as a public health issue. We respect and appreciate our police officers very much, and we understand that they need proper firearms training. But we also recognize that being exposed to gunfire on a daily basis is not normal and that it's a legitimate public health concern. To help raise awareness and keep attention on this problem, the HPCC is having a press conference tomorrow, Tuesday May 9, at 11 am at the Farmhouse Playground. We'll be providing a history of the site and explaining community concerns, and Joy Katz (who created the petition), will be publicly presenting it to the mayor (literally if he accepts our invitation to come, or figuratively if not). The event is open to the public; we encourage people to come whether it directly affects your family, or if you recognize this as a problem that the city should address.