Okaloosa sheriff's office proposes firing range expansion

CRESTVIEW — The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office plans to use $53,000 in drug money to expand its Grimes Avenue firing range.

Five acres — owned by the Wingard Family LLC and adjoining the current facility — would be used for the project, to be purchased with Federal Asset Forfeiture funds, according to the proposal.

Undersheriff Don Adams will present the plan to county commissioners at their meeting Tuesday in Shalimar. The board is expected to schedule a Dec. 1 public hearing on the request.

As new buildings go up on Northwest Florida State College's Niceville campus, the agency has less room to train at its testing course there, Adams said.

Property beside the Grimes Avenue firing range will serve as a buffer between the range and nearby homes, he said.

The OCSO purchased in 2013 purchased the firing range from the Wingard Family for about $90,000.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa sheriff's office proposes firing range expansion