The Wichita County Sheriff’s Office have moved out of their now former gun range. The WCSO had used the property for over 20 years as a place to conduct basic qualification testing for patrol deputies and squad teams or SRU (Special Response Unit) teams.

The range is located on private property in northern Burkburnett. WCSO Deputy Melvin Joyner said that after the lease was up, the owner informed the WCSO that he wanted to take back the property.

On Wednesday, inmates in the WSCO Inmate Worker Program could be seen helping deputies pack up and move equipment off the property. Deputy Joyner explained some of the temporary plans for a new range as they go forward.

“They have plans to build out of the annex the old Sprague building, just to the south of it, so hopefully get the plans finalized, get a contractor in there and start building,” said Deputy Joyner.
The WCSO have also brought in four portable buildings through a (1033) military program from Fort Sill. Deputy Joyner said the county plans to use those buildings as a range and as a place to store equipment from the former gun range in northern Burkburnett.

According to Deputy Joyner, the WCSO hopes that the new range will be up and ready in just over two months. The WCSO begins their next round of qualification testing in the fall. However, Deputy Joyner wants to assure the public that the county can make arrangements to find a temporary facility until they get their own range finished in downtown Wichita Falls.

– Newschannel 6