NYPD Rodman's Neck Firing Range
Encyclopedia
The NYPD Rodman's Neck Firing Range is a 54 Acre police training facility operated by The NYPD Firearms and Tactics Section on Rodman's Neck
in the Bronx
, New York City
. It is used for handgun and rifle practice and qualification by the NYPD
, the FBI
, HSI, New York City Department of Corrections (NYCDOC) and to train probationary police officers, as well as for antiterrorist, disorder control, Emergency Service Units, and OCCB training. The base has 7 rifle ranges with a 230 total firing points for trainees. The base has a school with Lecture Hall & Seven Classrooms with teachers. The base also has training area designed to look like a city neighborhood for practical training exercises. The base possesses one of the World's largest Police Armories and Firearms machine shop for maintenance and experimental weapons development.
The grounds include mock buildings called Urban Training Center /Tactical Village and Tactics House used for urban training scenarios, and a FireArms Training Simulator building (FATS) including an interactive video simulator that was all paid for by the FBI. There is also a specially equipped vehicle armed for disorder control nicknamed "The War Wagon" in case of rioting. The base was used during the 1960s by the National Guard
to train riot troops and was an emergency base of operations during the September 11, 2001 attacks
. This place is a police restricted area. It has a Helipad and police boat docks.
The area is also used for destroying unexploded bombs. Many bombs have been detonated since 1930, including ones made by George Metesky
, the Weathermen
, the Black Panthers, the Animal Liberation Front
and Al-Qaeda
. These explosives are always detonated at the southernmost point that juts out into Eastchester Bay in a crater called "The Pit". Around July 2 every year, impromptu impressive volcanic displays are put on as seized illegal fireworks are destroyed.
The open firing range's story began when Parks acquired the property for Pelham Bay Park. NYC Parks Department opened Rodman’s Neck to the public in 1903 with public bathhouses, showers, picnic tables, and cooking facilities. During World War I (1914–1918) the United States Navy used the site as a training facility. In the 1920s Rodman’s Neck was once again used for park purposes.
Between 1930 and 1936 the southern tip of the peninsula was used by the New York City Police Academy for summer training and explosives detonation. It was an ideal site to make bombs safe. The fact that the area was mostly surrounded by Eastchester Bay was considered good, so that any fragments from exploding bombs would not strike people at the remote site. In 1941, during World War II the U.S. Department of War began to use the area as a Navy base and in 1950, the United States Army drained the site and built barracks for soldiers at Fort Slocum. When the Army finished using the land, the site was turned over to the New York City Police Academy, where the police reestablished the permanent training facility and firing range in 1960. Early signs at the entrance said, "NYPD Pistol Range".
The range was supposed to have been a temporary facility, according to the plans laid out by Robert Moses and late Mayors Wagner and Lindsay and Beame. However Mayor Koch favored it becoming permanent.
The range was previously part of Pelham Bay Park
. In the late 1980s, Governor Mario Cuomo
signed an eminent domain law separating this land from the park and giving the NYPD the right to stay permanently.
In 1976 one NYPD Officer was killed and another was badly injured in The Pit when a bomb
went off accidentally.
The range was to have been converted into the NYC Official Olympic Firing Range for the unsuccessful New York City 2012 Olympic bid
.
The range now has Biohazard Safety Level 4 lab facilities to deal with radiological devices, Bioweapon bombs and gas chemical weapons.
Rodman's Neck
Rodman's Neck refers to a peninsula of land in the Bronx, New York jutting out into Long Island Sound.The southern third of the 'neck' is used as a firing range by the New York Police Department; the remaining wooded section is part of Pelham Bay Park...
in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It is used for handgun and rifle practice and qualification by the NYPD
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
, the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, HSI, New York City Department of Corrections (NYCDOC) and to train probationary police officers, as well as for antiterrorist, disorder control, Emergency Service Units, and OCCB training. The base has 7 rifle ranges with a 230 total firing points for trainees. The base has a school with Lecture Hall & Seven Classrooms with teachers. The base also has training area designed to look like a city neighborhood for practical training exercises. The base possesses one of the World's largest Police Armories and Firearms machine shop for maintenance and experimental weapons development.
The grounds include mock buildings called Urban Training Center /Tactical Village and Tactics House used for urban training scenarios, and a FireArms Training Simulator building (FATS) including an interactive video simulator that was all paid for by the FBI. There is also a specially equipped vehicle armed for disorder control nicknamed "The War Wagon" in case of rioting. The base was used during the 1960s by the National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
to train riot troops and was an emergency base of operations during the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. This place is a police restricted area. It has a Helipad and police boat docks.
The area is also used for destroying unexploded bombs. Many bombs have been detonated since 1930, including ones made by George Metesky
George Metesky
George P. Metesky , better known as the Mad Bomber, terrorized New York City for 16 years in the 1940s and 1950s with explosives that he planted in theaters, terminals, libraries and offices...
, the Weathermen
Weatherman (organization)
Weatherman, known colloquially as the Weathermen and later the Weather Underground Organization , was an American radical left organization. It originated in 1969 as a faction of Students for a Democratic Society composed for the most part of the national office leadership of SDS and their...
, the Black Panthers, the Animal Liberation Front
Animal Liberation Front
The Animal Liberation Front is an international, underground leaderless resistance that engages in illegal direct action in pursuit of animal liberation...
and Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
. These explosives are always detonated at the southernmost point that juts out into Eastchester Bay in a crater called "The Pit". Around July 2 every year, impromptu impressive volcanic displays are put on as seized illegal fireworks are destroyed.
History
Originally, the range was owned by Samuel Rodman who owned a ferry that ran between Minneford Island (City Island) and Anne's Hoeck (Rodman's Neck), where the bridge is now. Then L.R. Marshall built a Southern-style mansion at the southernmost tip of Rodman’s Neck called Pell's Point on his estate renamed “Hawkswood”. His mansion was converted and used as an inn until 1888, when Parks acquired the property for Pelham Bay Park.The open firing range's story began when Parks acquired the property for Pelham Bay Park. NYC Parks Department opened Rodman’s Neck to the public in 1903 with public bathhouses, showers, picnic tables, and cooking facilities. During World War I (1914–1918) the United States Navy used the site as a training facility. In the 1920s Rodman’s Neck was once again used for park purposes.
Between 1930 and 1936 the southern tip of the peninsula was used by the New York City Police Academy for summer training and explosives detonation. It was an ideal site to make bombs safe. The fact that the area was mostly surrounded by Eastchester Bay was considered good, so that any fragments from exploding bombs would not strike people at the remote site. In 1941, during World War II the U.S. Department of War began to use the area as a Navy base and in 1950, the United States Army drained the site and built barracks for soldiers at Fort Slocum. When the Army finished using the land, the site was turned over to the New York City Police Academy, where the police reestablished the permanent training facility and firing range in 1960. Early signs at the entrance said, "NYPD Pistol Range".
The range was supposed to have been a temporary facility, according to the plans laid out by Robert Moses and late Mayors Wagner and Lindsay and Beame. However Mayor Koch favored it becoming permanent.
The range was previously part of Pelham Bay Park
Pelham Bay Park
Pelham Bay Park, located in the northeast corner of the New York City borough of The Bronx and extending partially into Westchester County, is at the largest public park in New York City. The section of the park within New York City's borders is more than three times the size of Manhattan's...
. In the late 1980s, Governor Mario Cuomo
Mario Cuomo
Mario Matthew Cuomo served as the 52nd Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994, and is the father of Andrew Cuomo, the current governor of New York.-Early life:...
signed an eminent domain law separating this land from the park and giving the NYPD the right to stay permanently.
In 1976 one NYPD Officer was killed and another was badly injured in The Pit when a bomb
TWA Flight 355
TWA Flight 355 was a domestic Trans World Airlines flight which was hijacked by five terrorists, all members of the Croatian National Resistance which was a terrorist Croatian Ustaše emigrant organization, on September 10, 1976....
went off accidentally.
The range was to have been converted into the NYC Official Olympic Firing Range for the unsuccessful New York City 2012 Olympic bid
New York City 2012 Olympic bid
The New York City 2012 Olympic bid was one of the five short-listed bids for the 2012 Summer Olympics, ultimately won by London 2012.New York City's Olympic Bid, run by the private non-profit organization NYC2012, was founded by Daniel L. Doctoroff, who was managing director of a successful private...
.
The range now has Biohazard Safety Level 4 lab facilities to deal with radiological devices, Bioweapon bombs and gas chemical weapons.
Community opposition
Residents of nearby City Island and other neighborhoods have long complained about the noise from live fire drills and loudspeakers that are operated by drill instructors. Complaints have been filed and there have been promises that the range will be reconfigured to make less noise. Additional concerns include pollution from lead bullets and explosives. Gun noise is now restricted from 9PM to 8AM. They may, however, detonate unexploded bombs at any time.The Thug
According to the New York Times (Cops' Favorite Target Thug, but Just Who Was the Guy, February 17, 2005 http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/17/nyregion/17target.html?ex=1266296400&en=fe5e4bb912a85eec&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland), a widely used paper target figure officially known as "Advanced Silhouette SP-83A" or target "B-60" http://www.speedwelltargets.com/State.htm may have been developed in the early 1960s as a likeness of Sergeant Fred V. Worell, an instructor at the range. The target is colloquially known as The Thug.Possible Closing
In April 2007, The NYPD announced it was moving to a new indoor facility in Queens. What this means for the base and area is uncertain. An article in the Island Current, says the area will still be used for destroying unexploded bombs and fireworks, but all gun practice will move to a new indoors facility in College Point, Queens. After the gun ranges are dismantled, the grounds will be remediated and abated of toxic metal compounds.External links
- official website
- Rodmands Neck Range Closing?
- Rodmands Neck Range Closing?
- Truck Bomb Detonated in 2006
- Officer Down Memorial Page
- Pipe Bomb Found Near Mayor's House
- Bomb Found
- Lets Get Outta Here
- Bomb Kills NYPD Officer
- Satellite Image of Rodman's Neck (Google Maps)
- Rodman's Neck History
- http://www.villagevoice.com/news/9930,noel,7292,1.html
- Rodman's Neck
- http://www.nypd2.org/retirement/pdf/JanFeb2004.pdf