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01/08/2018 11:00 PMRenovations on the outdated North Haven Police Department building are set to begin this month, creating a more modernized workplace with new public safety equipment. Town officials say the project will bring significant benefit to police officers, staff, and the community.
The Police Department building at 8 Linsley Street was built in 1965. First Selectman Michael Freda said certain parts of the building are now outdated, such as the jail cells. Board of Police Commissioners Chairman Joseph D’Errico said the insulation isn’t good, with the building cold in the winter and hot in the summer.
“The building was built with an electrical equipment section underneath the bathrooms, which had started to leak, and windows were leaking,” Freda said.
Police Commissioner Larry Lazaroff said he’s “very excited” about the renovations, and the town takes public safety very seriously. He said the renovations, at a cost of approximately $18 million, will deliver a “nice, state-of-the-art headquarters” for the department.
The improvement project also includes the $4 million purchase of new radio and communications equipment for police and fire personnel. Freda said the new gear will enhance public safety and also tie into the school system.
D’Errico acknowledges the new radio system will be a great help to the department, adding that under the current system there are blackouts in some locations where officers can’t communicate with each other. He also said there’ll be new computers that will be “top of the line stuff.”
The Police Department building will have been completely vacated by Jan. 9, said Freda. The records and patrol divisions and the 911 dispatch will relocate to the Town Hall Annex at 5 Linsley Street during the renovations, with all other offices moved to another temporary off-site location.
“That will allow the construction crews to renovate that building more quickly…versus having it done in sections with our police department there-and we wouldn’t want our police department there because of environmental issues that need to be handled during this construction process,” Freda said.
The project is expected to take 14 to 16 months to complete.
Lazaroff said there will be signage outside the Police Department building during the renovations detailing the temporary locations, to help ensure the department remains accessible to the public throughout the project.
A bonding package for the renovation project was approved through referendum in 2016. Freda credited Police Chief Thomas McLoughlin and Deputy Chief Jonathan Mulhern on doing a “great job” presenting the project to the town during a series of public meetings. Freda said there was “overwhelming support from the public” for the project.
Freda said the town’s AAA credit rating delivered the bonding package for the renovations with a low interest rate. Citing the commission’s strong record of delivering projects on budget, Lazaroff is optimistic the renovations will be completed as scheduled.
D’Errico said the renovations complement the department’s recent certification by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), which puts an emphasis on improving the delivery of public safety services with up-to-date initiatives. The North Haven Police Department is one of only 16 municipalities in the state with CALEA accreditation, and D’Errico said he is excited and proud of this significant accomplishment.