Burlington Police Officers Look Forward to New Station

Discolored patches cover spots on the ceiling. Bubbled-up paint coats parts of the wall. Plastic wrap is taped over windows. Areas of the floor crackle when stepped on. 

The building that now houses the department – the former Union School – has been updated throughout the years, with things like new windows and roof shingles, but it suffers from damage, sits on the original foundation poured in 1897, and wasn’t designed for police use. 

Burlington police officers say a new police station is sorely needed, and funding for one was approved by Town Meeting. Officers hope the layout and updated equipment in the future $46-million station will improve comfort and efficiency — and that their workplace will smell better.

The existing building will be demolished, but the police department is working with the Historical Commission to preserve some parts, such as roof boards and beams, to be used in the new station or other town properties, said Police Chief Thomas Browne.

Browne, who has worked in the building for almost 25 years, said the renovations are long overdue. 

Water damage from roof to floor has crept through the structure over the years, and the air conditioning and heating system is inadequate, Browne said. There is mold throughout the building, including in the vents, and it gets on police uniforms in the lockers, Browne said, though he said the mold has been tested and is not the “unhealthy” kind.

“There’s a lot of deterioration in the building,” Browne said. “It just hasn’t been kept up to the point where it’s salvageable.”

Detective Sergeant James Hanafin, who has worked at the station since 2011, said there have been frequent problems with the sewage system, causing the entire first floor to smell like a sewer. The odor makes it unpleasant for residents who come in to discuss crimes or incidents, added Browne.

“That entire area where the holding cells are would smell like a used bathroom, and that’s just not fair for the prisoners even,” Hanafin said. “And Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts come for tours, so it’s not just us.” In addition, the current lobby is “very dank," according to Browne, and he hopes the new building will be more welcoming as residents walk through the doors. 

The officers are looking forward to having more space too, Browne said. At 36,000 square feet, the new station will be over 30% larger than the current one. The new layout will allow the department to make better use of the space, as well, Browne said. For instance, detectives – who are currently spaced out in different parts of the station – will all be in the same area. Hanafin said he hopes to have a more efficient system for storing evidence, which is now kept in several different areas of the building.

Devin Neal, a Burlington patrol officer for three years, said he is excited about the new station, especially with the hope of improving equipment and amenities, such as getting an updated dispatch center, gun range and training room.

“[Training] amongst our police department, and how other police departments come in and train, is really a top priority,” Neal said. “Especially if citizens want Burlington police to be the top of the line, which I believe we are now, but it only helps us grow.”

The police department will temporarily operate out of the former water treatment plant at Vine Brook, 171 Middlesex Turnpike, which is currently undergoing renovations – such as pulling out piping and water tanks and putting in office space – so it can be used as a police station, Browne said.

Despite working out of tighter quarters in the temporary space, the department will still function at top capacity, he said.

“Every person here, regardless of their rank or position, understands that we’re going to be uncomfortable for a couple years in order to be very comfortable in the end,” Browne said.

One important detail is that the temporary station does not have holding cells, so the department will likely use the Lexington police station for booking and holding inmates, Hanafin said.

Browne said he hopes the move to the temporary station will take only a couple of days, and there will be no disruption in officers’ ability to respond to 911 calls. 

The community's response has been “absolutely awesome,” Browne said, and the Town Meeting members and residents he has spoken to are supportive of the project. 

“I've been very open and transparent about giving tours and letting people come in and making their own decision,” Browne said. “But I think when you speak to the personnel that work in here every day and you're hearing the same thing from every one of them, it just makes sense that this is a time to cut your losses.”

The Department will be moving to their temporary location during the summer; construction on the new facility is scheduled to start in August and finish two years later. 

This story is part of a partnership between Burlington Buzz and the Boston University Department of Journalism.