Madison board votes to close longtime firing range after stray rounds hit nearby sites

The Board of Public Works and Safety voted March 17 to approve a plan from the Madison Police Department to close the city’s firing range because rounds from the range have reached nearby properties, including a recent strike at the animal shelter and a round that entered a residence in the Miles Ridge subdivision.

Chief Scudder told the board that the range was installed in the 1950s to fire into an on-site landfill and that surrounding residential and commercial development means the berm no longer provides an adequate safety buffer. “We’ve had recently a stray round into the animal shelter and then also a stray round into a residence back in Miles Ridge,” Scudder said, noting that he inspected the house and found a bullet hole near children’s toys.

Scudder recommended a temporary shutdown to complete required 2025 firearms certifications and give staff time to identify an alternate shooting location. “We would like to move to shut the range down about May 1,” he said. The board approved the motion to close the range as the chief outlined; the vote was taken verbally with members saying “aye.”

Scudder and other staff told the board that multiple agencies use the range, including the Madison Police Department, the sheriff’s department, excise officers and the Indiana State Police, but that most have alternate training locations. He said the department plans to finish mandated training this year and then work with the sheriff and commissioners to find a new site. “If we don’t get something identified by this time next year, I would like to have a stipulation built in to where we can open it for a short period,” Scudder said, adding that officers could use public ranges in Switzerland, Jennings or Scott counties in the interim.

Board members emphasized safety concerns for employees and the public who work at or visit the adjacent transfer station and compost yard. “It’s a busy area. I don’t think it’s suitable,” Scudder said of the current location, arguing that safety considerations outweigh the inconvenience of a temporary closure.

The board approved the chief’s schedule for the shutdown and follow-up planning; the record of the meeting shows no recorded votes against the motion. Staff said they will return to the board with updates, including any request to reopen the range temporarily if an acceptable alternate site cannot be identified within the year.

The closure is intended as an operational pause while the police and local officials pursue a permanent, safer training site; no demolition or permanent disposition of the range was discussed at the meeting.