On Aug. 17, North Branford state and local leaders and law enforcement representatives signed a ceremonial steel beam that was then hoisted into place at the new North Branford Police Department (NBPD) and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) under construction at 305 Forest Road/Route 22. The new facility is scheduled to be completed in July 2024.

“This event represents a significant milestone in our journey to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of the community we are sworn to serve and protect,” said NBPD Chief Kevin Halloran.

The $14 million project will receive $4.5 million in state funding and $1 million in federal EOC grant monies. Construction, which began in early 2023, was celebrated with a Feb. 27 groundbreaking ceremony attended by many who returned for the beam signing event on Aug. 17.

Halloran said he was humbled and honored by the commitment shown by all in supporting the new facility.

“From its very inception, this new police department has been infused with the collective passion and determination of our officers, staff, building committee members, town council members, and community members,” said Halloran, adding, “I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has made this dream a reality [and] especially the North Branford residents who have stood by us with unwavering support.”

Halloran said the modern and state-of-the-art police department represents “...more than just bricks and mortar; it symbolizes our shared values and vision for a safer and brighter future.”

Mayor Jeffrey Macmillen thanked all involved in the years of effort to bring about the new facility.

“This has been a long time coming. The effort that’s been made is a tribute to our town. We’re building a beautiful facility for our police that’s also going to be a true operations center. This is what it’s all about: re-investing in our community, making it a better place to be, a safer place to be,” said Macmillen. “We have the best police force around, and I think this shows that we care about them and will continue to care about them.”

Police commission vice-chairman David Palumbo and chairman Victor Pietrandrea, who also represent the police department as members of the Permanent Project Building Committee, thanked US Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D, CT 3rd District), State Representative Vincent Candelora (R, District 86), and State Senators Paul Cicarella (R, District 34) and Christine Cohen (D, District 12) for their support and assistance with funding the project.

Candelora, who spearheaded securing the project’s $4.5 million state grant, said he was grateful for those involved in helping to push for the project and support it when others felt it was not necessary.

“It took a lot of people taking a lot of risks and taking positions that weren’t popular initially, and over time, I think people recognized the need,” said Candelora. “It was good to see how well everybody came together to support the project from inception, and I think getting the state and federal money was very helpful to keep it moving and helped to get community buy-in for it.”

Support of the project also demonstrates an important commitment to the work of law enforcement officers, said Cohen.

“It’s making sure we’re supporting our men and women in blue day in and day out, and Representative Candelora really took the lead on this—this is his hometown and his community,” said Cohen. “We’re so appreciative of him doing that so that we were able to secure the important funding to make sure that this could go off.”

“It’s so important that the officers have their tools so they can do their job correctly, and this is a part of that,” added Cicarella. “They do so much for our citizens here.”

Palumbo and Pietrandrea also thanked Town Council members past and present for many years of effort, as well as the taxpayers of North Branford for supporting the project. Palumbo also recognized the committed members of the Permanent Project Building Committee, which he noted meets weekly “...to make sure North Branford gets the best of the best for the police department and high school projects.”

Pietrandrea also thanked Newfield Construction Company (Hartford) for its work on the project, which is on schedule. Work is being overseen on a daily basis for the town of North Branford by Clerk of the Works Tom Bailey, who is also overseeing the high school project.

Deputy Chief of Police James Lovelace said the gathering at the construction site on Aug. 17 was “...a prime example of what our police department is and what our community is.”

“All the stakeholders are here at the table,” said Lovelace. “We are thankful and blessed by the support that we get from our community, and we’re excited with what we’re going to be able to share once this facility opens.”