Legislation aims to address Bronx residents' complaints about noise from NYPD firing range
NEW YORK -- A contentious issue that has been plaguing some Bronx residents for years is now being brought to the table.
Legislation is being proposed to reduce the sound of gunshots caused by an NYPD firing range.
A beautiful day on the water isn't always relaxing when near the NYPD Rodman's Neck shooting range.
"Residents in this area have been listening to this for years upon years," Assembly member Michael Benedetto told CBS2's Alecia Reid.
People living in City Island, Throggs Neck, Edgewater Park and Pelham Bay say they deal with the noise on a daily basis, even up until midnight.
"On weekends, they don't get to enjoy their yards because of it," said Bob Bieder, with the 45th Precinct Community Council.
Training and qualifications for other law enforcement agencies also happen at the range. It's not just firearms training. There are bomb explosions, and fireworks are also disposed of there.
"We've had residents have their windows blown out," Bieder said.
Talks of renovating the facility have been ongoing for upwards of a decade.
Fed up with the lack of follow-through, Benedetto is proposing a statewide bill that will include regulated hours of operation between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and mandating noise parameters.
"The popping of gunshots, and you'll also hear the explosions," he said.
"Having a fully enclosed range will make a huge difference," Bieder said.
An NYPD spokesperson says renovation of a state-of-the-art facility is in the works and the majority of training will take place inside. But residents say they want the entire range covered, and there's another concern -- water and soil contamination.
"We're talking about thousands of cops training there every year, so you're talking about all this lead that's in the environment and we still don't have really full, complete environment reviews," City Island resident John Doyle said.
Benedetto is also proposing the state test the area for contaminants at least once a year. The bill will need majority support in the assembly to pass.