Police seek funds to upgrade firing range at station

The Grafton Police Department’s indoor firing range, which is used for training by all Ozaukee County law enforcement departments, needs upgrading.

“The range has not been updated since 2008 since the renovation (of the police station). It’s getting worn down because of the inherent uses of it,” Grafton Police Chief Jeff Caponera said.

“It’s still safe to shoot in, but we have to come up to code with regard to building and range requirements.”  

On April 5, the Grafton Village Board accepted a $25,000 anonymous donation that will go toward improvements.

“This is an opportunity for us to pay for some of the groundwork for that,” Caponera said, noting a new ventilation system and ceiling will be the most costly upgrades of the project.

“This donation is certainly going to be a significant help right from the start, but we are going to need to seek sources for alternative funding.”

Caponera said the project has not been assessed by contractors, but he estimated the work will cost $40,000 to $70,000. 

The chief is seeking grants to pay for the project. He said renovation of the four-lane range in the police station basement will also be part of his department’s 2022 capital improvement budget. 

Officials said no other departments pay to use the range and are not expected to do so.

The range is not open to the public, but it is used to teach youth hunter safety courses through the Department of Natural Resources.

“This is truly a community range that helps educate youngsters the proper way to handle a rifle and learn to respect firearms in a safe manner,” Caponera said. 

The range was constructed in 1981, the same time the Washington Street station was built.