OCSD dedicates new training range to Harley Melton

On what would have been former Owen County Sheriff Harley Melton’s 91st birthday, the Owen County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) dedicated its new shooting range in his honor.

Melton was a four-term sheriff.

The range is located on county-owned land that was previously the Patricksburg landfill.

Prior to this range, the department trained on property owned by Melton, who has since passed away.

OCSD Chief Deputy Matt Miller gave the opening remarks, in which he highlighted what the department used prior to the new range and ensured that proper appreciation was given for the many years in which officers in Owen County and surrounding counties all trained at the range on Melton’s property.

To Miller’s understanding, somewhere around 1978, when Melton was a reserve deputy with the department, he offered space on his property for a range.

“There’s a lot of people standing here today that trained out at that range and shot out at that range, and there’s a lot more officers out there all over the place,” Miller said. “For a long time, that range was used by most of the surrounding counties.”

Miller noted that it also included state agencies and that Melton allowed the various law enforcement agencies to use the range at no cost.

“That was something that Harley took on himself to build that range and allow agencies to come in and use it to train,” Miller said.

The range had eight lanes, a storage shed to store targets in and an old bridge that Miller said he has fallen off of a couple times.

“I don’t know if Harley envisioned when he built it what it was going to be, and how long it was going to operate and how many police officers were going to train at that range,” Miller said. “I find it hard to believe that with the training that officers did out at that range, that that range and him allowing that facility to be used didn’t have some impact on saving lives at some point, whether it’s officers’ lives or members of the public due to the training that officers got at that range.”

Miller said that when he started his career in law enforcement as a reserve in Monroe County, the first range he shot at was Melton’s range.

“Every department since that I went to used Harley’s range, so that was my home range from the beginning,” Miller said.

Miller said that they wanted to recognize Melton for giving up part of his property for the range for nearly 50 years.

As the requirements and firearms have changed for departments, OCSD needed a space where they could have more lanes and shoot from further back, and the former landfill was identified as a potential space. The department worked with the county commissioners and Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM).

The new range has 12 lanes and allows officers to shoot from as far as 200 yards.

The pavilion, range and a small shed for storage that now sits on the property were funded through the department’s firearms fund. This meant that the department did not need to ask the county for any additional funding to build the range.

Miller, who has run the department’s firearms program since 2009, said he is still going to miss aspects of Melton’s range.

“It seems like there was hardly a time that I was out there popping off that I didn’t hear Harley’s buggy fire up, cruising down the road there. He’d stop at the picnic table there at the parking lot and kind of sit and watch for a minute,” Miller said.

He also recalled a time when he and a new deputy were out in the pouring rain trying to complete the 40-hour pre-basic training, and Melton came and spoke with the pair for 45 minutes.

Miller said he always stressed to new officers Melton’s contributions, not just in his years of service to the department, but also for what he did for officers in Owen County and others, allowing them a place to train.

Melton’s son, Greg, was present at the dedication.

“Greg, on behalf of the sheriff’s office and citizens of the county, I want to thank Harley and your family for what you guys have provided to the law enforcement officers for all these years, and that it’s with the greatest respect and appreciation that we’d like to dedicate the Sheriff Harley E. Melton Memorial Range to the memory of Harley and the unmeasurable gift he gave to deputies like me and the citizens of the county that he loved,” Miller said.

Greg Melton was unable to speak at first as he fought back tears.

“Well, he absolutely loved that. He loved being sheriff, and he loved his men,” Greg Melton said.

“And he did like telling stories,” added Amy Casebeer, Greg Melton’s wife.

“And one of the things that I really appreciate is your people kept him included,” Greg Melton continued, recalling a time when an officer let his dad shoot his AR.

Several other memories of Harley Melton and his lasting legacy were shared as the dedication concluded.