Highland Park has one of the only open air police firing ranges in a residential neighborhood in North America. The range was built in the 1980s without community consent. There's a reason residential neighborhoods don't have open air police ranges: It's wrong. 

Mayor Gainey: It's time to close the Highland Park Open Air Police Firing Range. It should never have been built here in the first place.

This fall, we lost a beloved community member to gun suicide. Her family walked out their front door into the sound of automatic weapons fire on the day of her burial. Many here have personally experienced gun violence, including the Tree of Life massacre four years ago. But even if you haven't, the sound of gunfire has an effect. Science shows that for children, it can cause depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and feelings of helplessness. For people of all ages, including especially the combat veterans and refugees who live in Highland Park, persistent fear, panic, flashbacks, nightmares, and anger are a daily risk. The open air police firing range is a public health issue. 

The gunfire blasts come at any hour, weekdays or weekends, 365 days a year. They may last for an hour or 12 hours. The gunfire can start in the morning or at night. It can be heard in homes with the windows shut. An open air police firing range does not belong in a densely populated residential neighborhood. 

Residents of Highland Park, Morningside, Lincoln-Lemington, Stanton Heights, and Larimer constantly suffer the noise of assault weapons, rifles, and handgun blasts from the range. Besides its proximity to homes, the open air police range is close to a grade school, community pool, playgrounds, dog park, picnic grounds, jogging paths, and public outdoor fitness stations that people from surrounding neighborhoods use every day. 

Highland Park Community Council (HPCC) has been fighting the range for 30 years. But despite the tireless efforts of neighborhood leaders to silence the range, the City of Pittsburgh Police keeps using it—against community wishes.

Mayor Gainey: No other city neighborhood in the country has an open air police firing range. Ours shouldn't either. The open air Highland Park police firing range must close immediately. Our public health is at stake.