GaSheepDog
Member
I read this article this morning and got a warm fuzzy feeling inside:
http://www.macon.com/198/story/667264.html
Stepping up to a red line painted on the floor of the gun range, 14 people had plenty of reasons to pull the trigger.
Some of them were concerned that crime near their neighborhoods might spill over into their homes. A few of them had never fired a handgun before.
They wanted hands-on training from the people who carry guns every day — the police.
The group of 10 men and four women took part in a three-day gun safety class offered by the Macon Police Department last week in hopes of learning more about safety, Georgia gun laws and how to use their weapon.
Charles Giles said he'd heard about recent robberies along Riverside Drive, and he's concerned that they're hitting too close to home.
He's afraid someone might run into his neighborhood while being chased by police and try to seek refuge in a house.
Giles has hunted before, but he shot a pistol for the first time Wednesday night at the police department's gun range on Jackson Street.
"I'm not going to lie, I was nervous," he said after firing several rounds at a target.
The same held true for Sammy Davis, another participant. He's also hunted, but he wasn't as familiar with handguns.
He said the instruction made him feel more proficient. "If you ever get in a tight (situation), you've got to be prepared," he said.
SAFE AT HOME
On the first night of class, Sgt. Sarita Thomas told the group she hoped no one would ever have to use a gun for home defense, but she wanted them to be prepared if they did.
She shared simple safety tips, such as using alarm systems and deadbolt locks to help discourage intruders.
"People don't use them because they're just running up the street," Thomas said.
But a criminal knows a person's home — and a family's routine, she said.
"He knows because he's watching you."
Telling the story of a man whose home was burglarized while he was riding a lawn mower, Thomas encouraged participants to be more aware of their surroundings and lock their doors even when they're working in the yard.
"(The thief) watched him as he went one way and back the other way," Thomas said, and when the time was right, he ran inside the house and stole a DVD player. "Be looking for trouble," Thomas said. “We've got to change our habits and change our way of thinking."
Although it's easy to ignore other people while walking down the street, Thomas told the class that sharing a kind word with a stranger might actually dissuade a would-be criminal from making them a target.
"It may save your life," she said.
If the worst happens and someone catches an intruder inside their home, Thomas said the resident has the right to use a gun.
Throughout the night, class participants posed “what if" questions and suggested scenarios.
Jake Cox asked what he should do if the intruder doesn't have a weapon. Thomas said the answer often is determined by the situation and whether a person feels threatened.
"You have all the rights in the world to protect you and yours," she said.
There were other questions, such as whether an intruder must actually enter a house for a resident to lawfully fire a gun, and how many shots should you fire.
"Stop the threat," Thomas repeated numerous times. “It (depends on) what you feel is a threat."
She cautioned that a gun shouldn't be used to threaten someone or to fire warning shots. "When you pull out this weapon, you use it to stop the threat" she said.
SURPRISE ANSWERS
On the second night of training, officers explained gun laws, the process for getting a gun permit, where a permit holder can carry a gun and how it must be carried.
For those who wanted to have a gun to protect their home, the officers explained when a resident can fire on an intruder in self-defense.
The answer surprised several participants.
Officers said a person doesn't necessarily have to enter a home in order for residents to defend themselves. If a suspicious person tries to gain entry in a threatening manner or if it's clear that the person plans to commit a felony, the resident is probably justified in shooting them.
The desire to better understand the law spurred several of the participants to sign up for the class.
One of them was Cox, co-president of the Rosa Taylor Neighborhood Watch, who said he planned to make copies of the handouts and distribute them to his neighborhood watch group and family.
"Every person that owns a firearm needs to know the proper way to use it and the situations when it can and can't be used," he said.
On the final day, the men and women in the class got hands-on instruction from officers.
Rebecca Youngblood said she discovered she's a good shot after taking two turns on the range. "I'm pretty sure I'll be able to defend myself," she said.
Youngblood said her father gave her a gun and some preliminary instruction on how to use it about two years ago.
She said she attended the class in part to learn more about firearms and to lend moral support to a friend also attending the class after burglaries in her neighborhood.
WAITING LIST
Maj. Tonnie Williams said the police have offered the free gun-safety class for at least the past 15 years, with the exception of the past year and a half, when officers have been repairing their gun range.
"We want to teach you to be comfortable with whatever you have," he said. “If you're not familiar with what you have, it doesn't do you any good."
Classes in April and May already are full, and a there is a waiting list for future classes, which probably won't be offered until the fall.
Williams said the makeup of the class has changed over the years. "In past years, the majority of participants were female," he said.
Participants in the March, April and May classes are 60 percent male, he said, explaining that more men want to learn about gun laws and become more proficient in their gun skills.
Hamp Dowling, owner of Eagle Gun Range, said he's seen an increase in the number of people wanting to take his monthly gun classes.
"People are getting afraid," he said. “They're reading about the crime and hearing about the crime. They realize it happens everywhere — all over town."
In response to the long waiting list for the range's $75 class, Dowling has started offering the class twice a month.
He also said the gun industry has seen a rush in business since the presidential election in November.
Gun manufacturers can't keep up with demand, he said, and ammunition prices have skyrocketed, with some types doubling in price.
Some customers are motivated by a fear that guns laws could change, he said.
Bibb County sheriff's Lt. George Meadows said deputies also offer gun safety classes about once every other month.
A free class will be offered in April, but Meadows said a date has not been set yet. For more information on the class, call 621-6890.
Residents also are allowed to practice firing at the sheriff's office gun range on Confederate Way off Interstate 16 by appointment, at no cost, Meadows said. To schedule a time, call Capt. Joe White at 742-8118.
To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398.
http://www.macon.com/198/story/667264.html
Stepping up to a red line painted on the floor of the gun range, 14 people had plenty of reasons to pull the trigger.
Some of them were concerned that crime near their neighborhoods might spill over into their homes. A few of them had never fired a handgun before.
They wanted hands-on training from the people who carry guns every day — the police.
The group of 10 men and four women took part in a three-day gun safety class offered by the Macon Police Department last week in hopes of learning more about safety, Georgia gun laws and how to use their weapon.
Charles Giles said he'd heard about recent robberies along Riverside Drive, and he's concerned that they're hitting too close to home.
He's afraid someone might run into his neighborhood while being chased by police and try to seek refuge in a house.
Giles has hunted before, but he shot a pistol for the first time Wednesday night at the police department's gun range on Jackson Street.
"I'm not going to lie, I was nervous," he said after firing several rounds at a target.
The same held true for Sammy Davis, another participant. He's also hunted, but he wasn't as familiar with handguns.
He said the instruction made him feel more proficient. "If you ever get in a tight (situation), you've got to be prepared," he said.
SAFE AT HOME
On the first night of class, Sgt. Sarita Thomas told the group she hoped no one would ever have to use a gun for home defense, but she wanted them to be prepared if they did.
She shared simple safety tips, such as using alarm systems and deadbolt locks to help discourage intruders.
"People don't use them because they're just running up the street," Thomas said.
But a criminal knows a person's home — and a family's routine, she said.
"He knows because he's watching you."
Telling the story of a man whose home was burglarized while he was riding a lawn mower, Thomas encouraged participants to be more aware of their surroundings and lock their doors even when they're working in the yard.
"(The thief) watched him as he went one way and back the other way," Thomas said, and when the time was right, he ran inside the house and stole a DVD player. "Be looking for trouble," Thomas said. “We've got to change our habits and change our way of thinking."
Although it's easy to ignore other people while walking down the street, Thomas told the class that sharing a kind word with a stranger might actually dissuade a would-be criminal from making them a target.
"It may save your life," she said.
If the worst happens and someone catches an intruder inside their home, Thomas said the resident has the right to use a gun.
Throughout the night, class participants posed “what if" questions and suggested scenarios.
Jake Cox asked what he should do if the intruder doesn't have a weapon. Thomas said the answer often is determined by the situation and whether a person feels threatened.
"You have all the rights in the world to protect you and yours," she said.
There were other questions, such as whether an intruder must actually enter a house for a resident to lawfully fire a gun, and how many shots should you fire.
"Stop the threat," Thomas repeated numerous times. “It (depends on) what you feel is a threat."
She cautioned that a gun shouldn't be used to threaten someone or to fire warning shots. "When you pull out this weapon, you use it to stop the threat" she said.
SURPRISE ANSWERS
On the second night of training, officers explained gun laws, the process for getting a gun permit, where a permit holder can carry a gun and how it must be carried.
For those who wanted to have a gun to protect their home, the officers explained when a resident can fire on an intruder in self-defense.
The answer surprised several participants.
Officers said a person doesn't necessarily have to enter a home in order for residents to defend themselves. If a suspicious person tries to gain entry in a threatening manner or if it's clear that the person plans to commit a felony, the resident is probably justified in shooting them.
The desire to better understand the law spurred several of the participants to sign up for the class.
One of them was Cox, co-president of the Rosa Taylor Neighborhood Watch, who said he planned to make copies of the handouts and distribute them to his neighborhood watch group and family.
"Every person that owns a firearm needs to know the proper way to use it and the situations when it can and can't be used," he said.
On the final day, the men and women in the class got hands-on instruction from officers.
Rebecca Youngblood said she discovered she's a good shot after taking two turns on the range. "I'm pretty sure I'll be able to defend myself," she said.
Youngblood said her father gave her a gun and some preliminary instruction on how to use it about two years ago.
She said she attended the class in part to learn more about firearms and to lend moral support to a friend also attending the class after burglaries in her neighborhood.
WAITING LIST
Maj. Tonnie Williams said the police have offered the free gun-safety class for at least the past 15 years, with the exception of the past year and a half, when officers have been repairing their gun range.
"We want to teach you to be comfortable with whatever you have," he said. “If you're not familiar with what you have, it doesn't do you any good."
Classes in April and May already are full, and a there is a waiting list for future classes, which probably won't be offered until the fall.
Williams said the makeup of the class has changed over the years. "In past years, the majority of participants were female," he said.
Participants in the March, April and May classes are 60 percent male, he said, explaining that more men want to learn about gun laws and become more proficient in their gun skills.
Hamp Dowling, owner of Eagle Gun Range, said he's seen an increase in the number of people wanting to take his monthly gun classes.
"People are getting afraid," he said. “They're reading about the crime and hearing about the crime. They realize it happens everywhere — all over town."
In response to the long waiting list for the range's $75 class, Dowling has started offering the class twice a month.
He also said the gun industry has seen a rush in business since the presidential election in November.
Gun manufacturers can't keep up with demand, he said, and ammunition prices have skyrocketed, with some types doubling in price.
Some customers are motivated by a fear that guns laws could change, he said.
Bibb County sheriff's Lt. George Meadows said deputies also offer gun safety classes about once every other month.
A free class will be offered in April, but Meadows said a date has not been set yet. For more information on the class, call 621-6890.
Residents also are allowed to practice firing at the sheriff's office gun range on Confederate Way off Interstate 16 by appointment, at no cost, Meadows said. To schedule a time, call Capt. Joe White at 742-8118.
To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398.
