AMARILLO, TEXAS -- The Amarillo Shooting Complex is getting a face lift, and one detail that should keep tax payers happy, is that it won't cost them a dime.
The new range walls will not only save civilian's time but it will enhance the way police officers train.
One of the walls being built will divide the rifle and pistol ranges on the civilian side.
"We're basically building that so we can cut down on cease fire time, we can actually call a cease fire on each side of the range and decrease the amount of time that shooters have to stand by for us to change targets," said Sgt. Steve Mitchell, A.P.D. Rangemaster.
Another wall is being built to extend the L.E. range use to train officers, it is being backed up far enough for them to practice rifle and pistols.
"Allows where we can actually move back further from the concrete L.E. range while the public is out here, because right now we're limited to a 25 yard distance with that wall we could back up almost 60 yards where we could do rifle plus pistol on that range," said A.P.D. SAW officer, Brian Ainsworth.
"While they both say they like the way the range is now, it could always use some updates to make it that much better.
"We'll be able to do more long range work with these new walls that we're building and those barricade type walls will keep any accidents from happening between the civilian side or the law enforcement side," said Mitchell.
Ainsworth says the Amarillo Shooting Complex is one of the best in the region and any upgrades are more than welcomed.
"We've been training at a lot of facilities over the U.S. and there's none that really matched up with ours especially. It allows us with the 100-200 yard ranges, the Sims House, the L.E. still range allows us to pretty much do any type of training we want."
Sgt. Mitchell says just like any project the city has in the works this one will take time to be completed.
City officials told us the improvements are being paid for by left over certificates of obligation from the A.P.D. sixth floor remodel, or if that won't cover it all, they will be paid with seized funds.
