At a recent ceremony, the Bayonne Police Department dedicated a new range.  Like the previous range, the new one is named in honor of Sgt. James Shea, who died in the line of duty in 1969. Sgt. Shea’s wife, Mary Ann, his daughter, Jennifer Shea Tarantino, and his grandson, Ken Tarantino, came to the ceremony.    

A police range gives officers to the opportunity to be trained in the use of firearms. They need the training, in order to be certified to use guns. 

The old police range was constructed on the upper level of 16th Street Park in the 1960’s. According to retired Detective Vinnie Lobue, a former range master, at that time, police officers themselves built the facility, with support from local businesses.   

The Bayonne Police Department used the old range from the 1960’s until eight years ago, when the range was closed.  A new range needed to be built according to today’s environmental standards.  During recent years without its own range, the Bayonne Police Department had to send its officers to other municipalities for training. First, Bayonne officers used a range in Jersey City.  Later, they trained in a private facility in Union Township. Various financial issues, construction challenges, supply chain difficulties, and the Coronavirus pandemic held up the completion of a new police range.  During those years, the department had to pay for each officer to train out-of-town twice each year.   

According to the range master, Sgt. Matthew McGillis, the new range is “state-of-the-art.”  It has much more room than the previous one did and it meets all current standards, Sgt. Mcgillis said. He pointed out that the new facility can handle training with rifles, and that the range offers training for seven officers at a time. He added that the renovations include an enlarged office, along with locker and shower facilities. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Mayor Jimmy Davis, a retired Bayonne police captain, reminded the audience that Sgt. Shea gave his life to protect the City of Bayonne. Addressing the current police officers, Mayor Davis said about the new range, “Respect it, use it, keep it.” 

Public Safety Director Robert Kubert called the time it took to construct a new range “a tough, long road.” He cited the new roof and the new heating-ventilation-air conditioning (HVAC) systems as important features of the new range.  Director Kubert said it was “very expensive” to transport officers elsewhere for training before the completion of the new range. He thanked Mayor Davis, the City Council Members, and the Bayonne Finance Department for their efforts to complete the new range. 

In addition to thanking those Director Kubert cited, Police Chief Robert Geisler expressed thanks to several others who helped make the new range possible. They included Assistant City Attorney and former Business Administrator Donna Russo, Chief Financial Officer Donna Mauer, Public Works Director Tom Cotter, Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Edoardo (Junior) Ferrante, Aide to the Mayor Alphonse Major, Sgt. McGillis and his team, the engineers, and the construction workers.  

Rev. John Fencik, the former 9-1-1 Coordinator, closed the ceremony by blessing the new facility. 

PHOTO CAPTION: A plaque was unveiled to mark the rededication of the Sgt. James Shea Range for the Bayonne Police Department.  Current and former police officers, City officials, and members of the Shea family attended the ceremony.