Wake Sheriff Gerald Baker responds to county takeover of firearms training center

Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker says he should have told county officials before announcing his plan to close the county’s shooting range to the public, a decision the county has since overruled.

Baker issued a statement Monday responding to comments by County Manager David Ellis and Greg Ford, chairman of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, that reversed his plan to end public access to the Wake County Firearms Education and Training Center effective Jan. 15.

The Sheriff’s Office had announced the cancellation of the contract with Range Safety Management on Wednesday, Dec. 18, citing a “lack of profitability” and the need for more training space for law enforcement agencies.

Two days later, Ellis and Ford announced the county would take control of the shooting range near Holly Springs and determine the “appropriate balance of use” by the public and law enforcement.

“While senior team members and I are surprised by the response from our County partners,” Baker responded Monday, “we do acknowledge that while it is not a requirement to notify the County, we should have extended the courtesy to the County staff advising them of the specific date of the contract’s cancellation.”

“Similarly, the County should have extended me the courtesy of responding to me regarding my decision, to cancel the contract,” he continued.

‘Financial liability’

The county owns the shooting range, which it says on its website was built “for citizens to provide a safe place for target shooting,” as well as for law enforcement training.

In its statement last week, the Sheriff’s Office initially said the county agreed with Baker’s decision. A spokesman for the sheriff later clarified that the county only agreed it was aware of Baker’s concern that expenses at the center were rising while revenues were falling.

Baker said RSM receives $250,000 to run the shooting range, with an expectation it will generate enough revenue to cover the contract and help maintain the center.

But in 2017, RSM generated only $220,278.75 in revenue and in 2018, it generated only $182,570.52, the statement said.

As a result, the Sheriff’s Office has been absorbing costs averaging over $200,000 a year, according to the statement.

“[A]fter an evaluation of the RSM contract it was determined it was a financial liability to the office’s base budget,” the statement said.

Politics and the Trump factor

In an interview Monday, Fred Stough, one of three RSM partners, told The News & Observer the sheriff doesn’t understand how the contract works.

The county limits public access to the range to 20 hours a week and sets its hourly rates. RSM, which receives a management fee, submits invoices for its expenses, so if it spends less, it receives less, Stough said.

“We don’t get $250,000,” he said. “The busier we are, the more we spend. They tell us what to charge. If we have a bad year, we don’t spend $250,000.”

The range lacks central heating and air conditioning and has faced increased competition from Triangle Shooting Academy and other ranges, Stough said.

Politics makes a difference, too.

Business fell off when Donald Trump got elected because people were no longer worried about someone taking their guns away, Stough said.

But it works both ways. Stough said he’s seen an uptick since the sheriff announced he wanted to close the center to the public.

“Since this came out in the paper I’ve seen people come out to the range I haven’t seen in 10 years,” he said.

This story was originally published December 23, 2019 at 2:19 PM.