FARMINGTON — Space needs at the Farmington Police Station were tight when Jack Peck, now the chief, started working for the department 22 years ago. Since then, the size of the force has doubled.
It’s taken years but a new, larger space for the department is now less than 50 days away. The move from the town office to the new station, nearly a block away, is expected by mid-February, Peck said.
Last December, Franklin Memorial Hospital offered the town a building on Franklin Avenue, formerly a doctors’ office. Voters accepted the gift and potential costs of renovations during the annual town meeting in April.
Months of planning and finessing the architect’s design followed in an effort to bring costs down. With $431,715.58 for the town to work with, the new plans provide a contingency of $10,891.58 for the project. Renovation work started Oct. 31.
By mid-December, the roof is done, new windows installed and communication equipment is being installed. Adding vinyl siding is next on the list. Selectmen approved the purchase of a new phone system at their Dec. 13 meeting, Peck said during a recent tour of the building.
The new station will offer more than 6,000 square feet of space for interview rooms, storage and offices. The current space of 1,500 square feet finds seven patrolmen sharing one desk and one computer. The deputy chief shares one office with a detective and two sergeants.
The new space will also allow privacy for people to bring their concerns to the police. The department secretary now greets visitors just feet away from where people conduct business in the town office lobby.
Peck plans to honor former Chief Richard Caton III within the new space, he said. Caton spent hours trying to find a solution to the department’s space needs before his death last year.
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