Eastpointe council votes to add gun range to new police department and 38th District Court project

The Eastpointe City Council voted Jan. 6 to include an indoor gun range in the bonded project for the new police department and the 38th District Court, adding the facility’s cost to the overall bond package.

Council members debated the proposal during a lengthy discussion that focused on operational benefits, costs and health concerns. Supporters said an on-site range would reduce officer travel for training and keep lead and other contaminants out of the courthouse’s occupied spaces. “It’s a lot safer for our people to be here in our own city to use the gun range,” Council member Scott said, adding that on-site training could help recruitment and retention.

Chief Haynes said neighboring departments often use community-college or county ranges and that Eastpointe could pursue shared-use agreements if it builds a local facility. He described prior experience with interjurisdictional arrangements and said he had discussed potential sharing with neighboring Sinclair Shores. “They would be interested in some kind of a sharing agreement because it’s much closer to them than going all the way to the county or the college,” Chief Haynes said.

Several council members expressed concern about timing and total cost amid other capital needs, including the new courthouse and radio systems. Council member Baker urged caution about the city’s overall debt load and asked for clearer line-item estimates. “I just want to keep in mind where are we going to tighten our belts because these big expenses will all hit at once,” Baker said.

Administration told council the planned procurement would bundle the project into a single solicitation with the gun range listed as a separate bid line item so the council can evaluate cost alternatives and accept or remove the range depending on bids. City manager Mattis said administration will pursue additional cost estimates and can present alternative designs before final commitments.

Council then moved to add the gun range to the project and include its cost in the bond. The motion carried on a roll-call vote with the members present voting in favor.

What’s next: administration will refine cost estimates and procurement documents; council will consider the finalized bid packages and bond terms before construction starts.