Work begins on St. Martin shooting range

Within the next year, law enforcement officers in St. Martin Parish will no longer have to drive to New Iberia to sharpen their firearms skills and satisfy annual qualification requirements.
More than a year of effort by the St. Martin Sheriff’s Office to find the ideal location and procure the land for a new range has paid off. The facility, being built by Garden City Construction and designed by Picard Architects, will be a $1.6 million state-of-the-art facility. It is being financed by sheriff’s office reserve funds.
Located northeast of St. Martinville off of La. Hwy. 96/Catahoula Highway at 1381 Francois Rd., the range will feature a building with a classroom, break room, and restrooms.
There will be lanes for 16 shooters at the pistol range and five at the rifle range. The target system will have a bullet capture feature and will be bordered on the sides by a 10-foot concrete wall and a 16 -foot wall on the target end.
All law enforcement agencies in the parish will have access to the range. In 2017, it will open to the public at specified times.
Sheriff Ronny Theriot, Parish President Guy Cormier and state Rep. Mike Huval were present at the groundbreaking ceremony held Dec. 9. All said that the facility is badly needed and will greatly improve access to firearm training for law enforcement and the public alike. Theriot said that parish law enforcement is grateful to the Iberia Sheriff’s Office for the use of its range over the past 12 years.