There will be shooting on properties that are on safe walking routes.

Chief Aaron Lauth acknowledged that there will be shooting on properties that are on safe walking routes. They need to stop repeating the lie that there's not. See his explanation below for what they meant by "no shooting will be on safe walking routes." It is so ridiculous, as if bullets will just stay in the yards.

On Sun, Jan 31, 2016 at 12:26 PM, Aaron Lauth <alauth@mtlebanon.org> wrote:

Ms. XXXXXXX,

All safe walking routes are recommended routes of travel that are established using public streets and their adjoining sidewalks (where appropriate). No safe walking routes recommend that children walk through private property during their travels to and from school. Also, none of the public properties identified for use during the sharpshooting activities are recommended for travel by the established safe walking routes.

Since the established safe walking routes encompass nearly all of Mt. Lebanon, you are correct that some of the private properties that have been selected for culling activities may be adjacent to public streets and sidewalks where these recommended routes exist.

As you are aware, the MLPD has been tasked with evaluating the safety of the culling activities throughout the program. As part of this safety analysis, specific criteria and a site inspection team have been established. The site inspection team consists of White Buffalo professionals and two Mt. Lebanon police officers who have extensive training as police marksmen and have participated on our regional Critical Incident Response Team. They will evaluate each potential location based on a variety of factors, including shooter position, elevation to be used, sight lines/obstructions, proposed weapons (.22/.223), minimum/maximum target range, backdrop selection, potential for human activity, proximity to any safe walking route and compliance with the 1000-foot Gun Free School Zone criteria applicable to public properties.

As I'm sure you are also aware, safety zones and setbacks are not required for a sharpshooting cull permitted by the PA Game Commission, however all efforts will be made to eliminate the potential for any human conflict at any of the proposed culling locations. Based on our preliminary discussions with White Buffalo, locations will be selected mostly because they are isolated from any potential conflicts that could have an influence on safety or the culling activities.

As is evidenced by the established protocols listed above, safety will always be the top priority of this culling program.

Thanks,

Aaron V. Lauth

Chief of Police

Mt Lebanon Police Department

555 Washington Road

Pittsburgh, PA  15228

(412)343-4015

alauth@mtlebanon.org

www.mtlebanonpd.org