FARMINGTON — The Police Department’s new quarters, the Richard E. Caton III Memorial Police Station, was dedicated Friday afternoon after a tour by many community members.

Caton, the former police chief, diligently sought better quarters for his department, which was squeezed into 1,500 square feet of space in the Municipal Building. He spent hours before his death in 2010 trying to find a solution to the space needs.

“While photos and memories fade, this building dedicated to my father are symbols to our children and grandchildren,” Caton’s daughter, Cassandra Smith, said on behalf of the family. “It shows how important and how loved he was by the community to have this building named after him.”

Her brothers, Richard Caton IV and Brock Caton, stood by her.

“If he was here today, just as he always used to say, he’d say, ‘I’m tickled pink.’ Can’t you hear him?” she said.

The station on Franklin Avenue has 6,000 square feet and was developed from the former medical arts building given to the town by the Franklin Community Health Network. Police Chief Jack Peck called the gift a godsend.

Smith said if her father were at the dedication, he would pat Peck on the back for the amazing job he’s done for the department and the community.

Dick Caton had a big heart and cared about the department, Town Manager Richard Davis said. The department now has the space that he never got to see, but his memory will live on in this building, he added.

The department moved into the station in March.

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