Who do you want to be able to shoot straight and fast? The Police! Specifically, the Ontario Provincial Police.
We live near the OPP firing range. The cats are getting used to it. It must prepare the deer and wild turkeys for hunting season!They send us a letter in the spring preparing us, informing those of us on our street of the practice dates. Unfortunately, the gunfire sounded like rapid fire the first time we heard it. It was scary, except that we knew they were well-supervised police officers requalifying.
The woman in charge, Sgt. Lisa Hazelton, is out of Smith's Falls detachment. She agreed to let me have a tour of the range, as I felt it might alleviate my fears. The imagination is a scary place.
No photos, of course, but I have collected my fair share of local and provincial police. Obviously, they are doing their jobs, as crimes are down!
The first time we heard it it was a shock. It sounded like rapid gun fire. But this is not the case. The target are laid out in a row, like a firing range you see on TV. The officer must qualify each year. They fire a certain number of shots within five seconds, all at the same time. They are told when to stop and when to start.
It is surprising, but a tour of the range, courtesy of trainer Contable Steve Tavares, really helped me understand the process. He has been with the force for 16 years. A likeable man, he was a terrific host. I have never seen a gun, never touched one, and the gun fire is disconcerting to this Toronto inner city kid. Many in rural areas use guns to control pests.He answered all of my questions, and now I know what they do there, how and why.
Citation of Bravery: Const. Steve Tavares;
Constable Steve Tavares of the Grenville County detachment of the Ontario ....in conjunction with members of the OPP's drug enforcement section
The sound from my backyard...
The gun fire in the background on Batman's video, (@ 1:00) is the OPP firing range nearby.
