Michael Newhall: Location picked for new police station is an excellent choice

To The Daily Sun,

In the early 1990s, the Belmont Fire Department and the Belmont Fire Relief Association were looking to build a new fire department. At that time, Chief Albert Akerstrom was the chief of the department. He had spoken with Mrs. Philbrick about a piece of property on Gilmanton Road where he wanted to build the new fire station. Mrs. Philbrick donated the land to the Belmont Fire Department and to the Town of Belmont.

In 1995, the new fire station was constructed, and our department relocated from our old station on Fuller Street to our new station on Gilmanton Road. This left a vacant building next to the Corner Meeting House. At that time, the Police Department was housed in the basement of Town Hall. With an empty building and a few renovations, the Belmont Police Department found its new temporary home until it could secure funding for another building. Today, the Police Department still remains at that same location.

Twenty-five years have passed, and the Belmont Police Department now has an unsafe, outdated building that the department has outgrown. In discussing safety, I am not only speaking for the officers. I am also speaking for the public, and in speaking for the public, I am not only referring to the residents of Belmont. I am also referring to those being questioned, arrested or detained. Like parents responsible for their children’s safety, the police are responsible for the safety of all who are brought to the station. With cramped offices and an extremely small booking area, the potential of someone getting hurt is very high. Privacy is also a concern. Much like in the fire service, the police are required to keep a certain level of confidentiality or privacy. In the current setting, there is very little to no privacy.

By rebuilding the new police station on Fuller Street, the Belmont Police Department is able to upgrade their facility to a safer, more conducive space, while keeping the great location that they already have. Location is everything. We live in a very different world then we did 25 years ago. Acts of violence happen more frequently, and you want your Police Department to be able to have a quick response to these high priority calls. The proposed police station is close to all three schools in Belmont, the local park, and downtown. They are in a location that allows them to respond quickly if an incident, major or minor, arises. And the professional, well trained, educated, and compassionate men and women that are responding to these incidents are second to none.

The Belmont Police Department has set the bar high for the level of service it provides to the residents and business of the Town of Belmont. If you would like to support your local Police Department, I encourage you to support the new police station by heading out to the polls on March 11th and voting “YES” on Article #2.

Michael Newhall

Belmont Fire Chief