Officers of the Richard N. Callwood police command on Norre Gade returned to their original home Saturday after years of being housed in temporary quarters while the former headquarters, now part of the Alexander Farrelly Criminal Justice Complex, was refurbished.
The move took several hours and did not affect police coverage of the downtown community. Under the watchful eye of Cmdr. Al Donastorg Sr., the front desk operation was moved from the temporary location back to the newly renovated building.
At the new facility, Donastorg, Cpl.Lyn Rabsatt, Police Benevolent Association President Elroy Raymo and other officers put the finishing touches on their new office space.
The new quarters are a far cry from the space they occupied on Norre Gade in recent times. The air-conditioning was chilly at mid-afternoon, the phones rang, the police radio could be heard throughout the building and all appeared just about settled.
Donastorg singled out Police Commissioner Franz Christian and Assistant Commissioner Bruce B. Hamlin for pushing the renovation project to completion.
"They really put a lot of time and effort into this project from the day the governor nominated them to their respective positions," Donastorg said as he wiped off a water cooler in what will become a new community meeting room.
The headquarters is complete with holding cells for prisoners during the booking process, a lineup room with one-way mirrors where victims of crime can identify suspects, a secure evidence room and emergency power generators.
Eventually, all police operations are to move from various rental locations across the island to the Criminal Justice Complex.
All police operations were moved from the complex in the early 1980s when a lack of maintenance rendered the building unfit for occupancy. Since then, a new Territorial Court complex was added to the former building and both entities now share the same entrance and courtyard.
The court occupies the eastern and southern wings of the complex named for former Gov. Alexander Farrelly, while the Police Department is expected to occupy the basement and first and second floors of the building's north wing. The Bureau of Corrections sits on the top floor.
Raymo said he will discuss the transition to the new building in a news conference at 2 p.m. Monday.
