Windsor police station
New facility features expanded and modernized booking area, locker rooms
The new Windsor police station on Addison Road is unlike anything at the former Bloomfield Avenue headquarters.
WINDSOR — The first thing one notices upon entering the new Windsor police station on Addison Road is a large common area and two glass partitions looking into the records and dispatch departments with people visible behind them.
It is unlike the former Bloomfield Avenue headquarters, where visitors who entered could not readily see anyone and were prompted to a red telephone to call a department representative they could not initially see, as they were usually hidden behind two sets of locked doors.
“It’s more welcoming,” said Windsor Police Chief Donald Melanson as he stood in the lobby. “It makes it possible to speak to someone in person.”
The new space at 100 Addison Road replaces the former headquarters at 340 Bloomfield Ave, which had been home to the police and fire departments since 1963. Even with an addition in the late 1980s, the department’s share of the 26,000-squarefoot building was about 17,000 square feet.
In its new home, which also includes space for the department of public works, the police occupy about 30,000 square feet of space in the 65,000 square foot building.
The new facility for 52 sworn officers and 67 total employees cost about $16 million and features:
An expanded and modernized booking area and suicide-proof holding cells.
Separate expanded and modernized locker rooms and shower for men and women.
An expanded sally-port for police vehicles to drop off prisoners more safely.
Expanded and modernized training areas that will allow the department to provide state of the art training scenarios and host other departments in training sessions that will help law enforcement comply with recent police accountability legislation.
An expanded and modernized roll call room and dispatch center. The dispatch center, which has room for expansion, also has its own bathrooms and break room.
A covered car port for police vehicles that has an option for adding solar panels. An expanded work out center.
A break room and outdoor eating area. A consolidation of command staff to promote better communication.
An expanded and modernized evidence processing and retention area.
Melanson said the facility achieves four key objectives and will serve as a recruiting tool for years to come.
“Morale, space, training resources and its safer for officers and people whoare brought in,” he said.
Mayor Donald Trinks said Windsor residents should be proud of themselves for voting for the new police station at referendum and thanked the public building commission for their work and the contractor for bringing the project in under budget and ahead of schedule.
“In addition to the modern amenities, it is poised to adapt to the future policing needs of town,” Trinks said. “The face of modern police work is changing and this new facility is poised to adapt easily to those changes”
The newpolice department is phase one of an overall two-phase project expected to cost about $33 million.
The second phase, expected to cost about $18 million will focus on renovating and modernizing the former public safety building on Bloomfield Avenue. Work, which has just begun and is expected to take 12 to 14
months to complete and will include:
The construction of new fire apparatus bays and increased storage space.
Improved parking and vehicle circulation. Renovation of the former police department area to create office space, restrooms, lockers and a kitchen area.
Renovation of the current fire department area to accommodate EMS offices, training and sleeping quarters and storage.
Updated mechanical, plumbing and HVAC system.
Improvements to the current lobby and restrooms.
Town Manager Peter Souza said tours for the public will be held Sept. 26, from 9:30 a.m to noon, followed by a dedication of the building.
Souza said the tours will consist of small groups of people and no reservations will be required as there will be several tours occurring simultaneously.
Masks will be required.