KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Clay County Sheriff Will Akin announced he will search for other possible sites for a planned training facility and shooting range that the sheriff's office was initially looking to build on the plot of a closed landfill.
Akin told KSHB 41 News that he has been looking for a site for the facility for years to ensure Clay County Sheriff's Office employees are trained at the highest-possible standard. He said the proposed location was the best site that had been scoped out.
Neighbors living near the 63-acre plot of land spoke out against the proposed location at Tuesday's Clay County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting.
RELATED | Neighbors in Liberty concerned with proposed Clay County Sheriff's Office shooting range
Matthew Loehr operates a maternity home for up to 15 mothers and infants, located just over a mile away from the property,
"Many of our women struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder," he said.
Loehr shared that many of the women have past experiences with gunfire and said he would hate to have them hear the shooting range.
"I have to advocate for the moms and the people that aren't going to come here and they're not going to speak to you tonight, but they're citizens too," he said.
In addition to mental health, neighbors also vocalized concerns over stray gunfire and impact on property value.
"I believe more training is always necessary and a positive, but I also believe there's other areas that can be utilized and not my backyard, neighbor Amy Kipping said.
After listening to community members speak out, Akin said he will work to find another location for the facility.
"I didn't get to talk to any of these neighbors," he said. "I think if I had the chance, if we had this meeting early on, we probably would've abandoned this effort and looked for another site."
While the sheriff's office does not currently have a shooting range, Akin said deputies will "make it work" until a plot of land is found and the facility is created. Deputies currently travel out of the county and across the state to train.
"There is a lot of support for the sheriff's office tonight despite what we're trying to push, what we're trying to achieve, and for that I'm extremely grateful," Akin said.
Sheriff offered a private tour to residents in the area on Thursday so they can see the proposed location for themselves.
