Packing boxes, moving out equipment, taking framed pictures off the walls—like any other tenants, Old Saybrook Police Department personnel last week were busy cleaning up and cleaning out their former Custom Drive station before the lease ended.

“We are in the process of decommissioning the Custom Drive [site]. The plan is on track to turn it back to the landlord as of May 1,” said Police Chief Michael Spera last week. “I want to praise the department’s personnel who in less than five years, were asked again to help with the station relocation, [a task] outside of their normal duties.

“The transition from Custom Drive to the new Lynde Street station could not have gone smoother,” said Spera.

Although the new 36 Lynde Street police station is now open, the project’s contractors are still finishing some painting tasks and fixing a few outstanding items on the final task list known as the punch list.

“We’re still discovering things that need fixing as we work in the building and test stuff. We’re working with the contractors to get these done,” said Spera.

Now at the finish line, Spera said the project to renovate the 36 Lynde Street building and build an addition to house the detention wing is still under budget.

“We’re very grateful to the Old Saybrook community for their continuing support as evidenced by this fantastic new state-of-the-art police facility,” said Spera.

Unlike either the temporary Custom Drive station or the former 225 Main Street station, the new facility includes design improvements that enhance officer safety.

As Spera explained, the entire detention area is built to ensure both officer and prisoner safety. There is also a new expanded capability to deal with youthful offenders (those up to age 18) and with children in crisis.

The new station also has a state-of-the-art dispatch center and a training room large enough to allow the Police Department to host training sessions rather than having to always send officers offsite for required training.

Other design features included in the building enhance both employee and public safety by ensuring physical separation.

“No longer will a civilian department employee come face to face with someone who is under arrest,” said Spera. “And a crime victim coming to the station to make a complaint will no longer come face to face in the facility with their offender.”

Logistically, the move from Custom Drive back to downtown is an improvement since Lynde Street is more centrally located. The new station also includes a secure parking lot for police vehicles, another improvement over both Custom Drive and the former 225 Main Street stations.

“One of the exciting things is figuring out how to fit a 24/7 police department operation into a residential neighborhood,” said Chief Spera. “We’re eager to work with our neighbors and want to be good neighbors.”

Towards that goal, Spera said he planned to ask the building committee to allocate funds to extend the station’s perimeter fence to provide better screening between the facility and its nearby neighbors.