Police Range Noise Tested in South St. Louis

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is measuring sound from its firing range with HDR Inc. through November 20.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Law Enforcement

Police Range Noise Tested in South St. Louis

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The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is working with HDR Inc. to measure sound from its firing range across several south St. Louis neighborhoods. Sound tests run from Wednesday through Friday, November 20, and were initiated by the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners.

Why it matters

South St. Louis residents had raised concerns about constant gunfire noise from the range months before the study began. The results will inform strategies the department hopes to use to reduce range noise for nearby neighborhoods.

The sound study is ongoing and runs from Wednesday through Friday, November 20, with HDR Inc. collecting measurements across several south St. Louis neighborhoods. No findings or measured decibel levels have been released, and the extraction does not indicate what happens after testing ends.

The players

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department

The municipal police agency that operates the firing range and is conducting the sound study with outside consultants.

HDR Inc.

An engineering and consulting firm hired to measure range sound and develop strategies to reduce noise.

The details

HDR Inc. is measuring sound from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's firing range to determine how range sound could reach nearby neighborhoods. Tests cover Marine Villa, Gravois Park, Dutchtown and Mount Pleasant, areas where residents had complained about constant gunfire noise.

Wednesday (week of November 11, 2026): Sound measurement testing begins at the firing range.
Friday, November 20, 2026: Sound measurement testing ends.

Legal Context

The study was initiated by the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners, the body that oversees Metropolitan Police Department operations. Its response to neighborhood complaints shows how local police facilities are assessed when residents raise quality-of-life concerns.

Residents of Marine Villa, Gravois Park, Dutchtown and Mount Pleasant may see the study results shape how close range noise reaches their homes. The findings could lead to changes in how and when the firing range operates.

The takeaway

Local noise complaints can prompt formal measurement studies, and the results may lead to operational changes at public safety facilities. Residents affected by such noise can follow the study outcomes through their local police board and city officials.