Newly-Constructed Police Department Headquarters Opens In Windsor Locks

WINDSOR LOCKS, CT — When the cornerstone of the Windsor Locks public safety complex on Volunteer Drive was laid in 1974, Richard Nixon was president, Hank Aaron had just broken Babe Ruth's all-time major league baseball home run record, and the hottest trends of the day were streaking, 8-track tapes and CB radios.

All of those items are now long obsolete, and so is the functionality of the now-cramped police department headquarters. With the advent of modern technology, including more sophisticated equipment, the time for expansion and/or re-location was long overdue in the opinions of many residents and officials.

At a Jan. 2024 referendum, with a vote of 314 in favor and 183 opposed, residents opted to appropriate $19.13 million to build a new station at 511 Spring Street. Construction on the 18,000 square-foot facility began that fall, and was recently completed.

An adjacent new building, which will share the parking lot with the police department, will house the Windsor Locks Senior Center. Funding for that $14.27 million project was approved at the same Jan. 2024 referendum. The new senior center, with four sparkling new pickleball courts among other amenities, is expected to open soon.

Police department personnel began moving into the new site earlier this week. During the transition, all police services are to be conducted at Spring Street.

Police Chief Eric Osanitsch told Patch, "The move into the new facility is going very well and long overdue. We now have a modern and up to date facility, which will serve the citizens of Windsor Locks and our police staff for many decades to come. This is truly an investment for the future, which has been in the planning phase for over 25 years. It incorporates the latest in police technology and safety features, reducing liability to the town and increased officer safety. I would like to personally thank the community for their continued overwhelming support of the police staff and this project.”

"Please do not visit 4 Volunteer Drive for police services any longer," police wrote on social media. "All phone calls, walk-ins, mail deliveries, etc., will be handled at the new location. We will continue to push our goal of providing uninterrupted police services during his time of transition and make this turnover as seamless as possible with minimal disruption."

It is uncertain when or if public tours of the new facility will be conducted.

"We appreciate and are fortunate for the community support we always receive," according to a social media post. "We are considering a public tour, but must wait until all the contractors and vendors are done and we are fully moved in. We appreciate the enthusiasm. We are grateful that this will benefit the town of Windsor Locks long after the current staff moves on and decades into the future.