Renovations to Melrose Police Station Nearly Complete

After more than two months of renovations, the Melrose Police Station's $450,000 facelift is nearly complete.

Renovations were made to various rooms on the second level of the police station, as well as upgrades to the department's aging communication center which was more than 30 years old, according to Mayor Rob Dolan.

The renovations began in late January, and the department had to shift its operations temporarily to City Hall while construction was underway. Police vacated the basement of City Hall on March 1 and returned to normal operations at the police station, according to the statement.

Some of the upgrades to the communcation center include:

• New radio system that complies with the FCC mandate
• New mobile radios in police cars to improve sound quality
• Improved signal and more repeaters means fewer radio dead spots
• Radio lines converted from phone lines to fiber—saves money on repairs
• Residents will see no change but system will be more reliable and up to date

"These improvements will make a significant improvement within our department in a variety of ways," said Police Chief Mike Lyle in the statement. "Not only have we made conditions in the station better for our staff but also more customer friendly for residents. From an operations standpoint, the technology improvements further enhance our operations and public safety in the community."

Improvements have been made to the dispatch, officer in charge, customer service and reports room areas at the station. A new floor was installed, new furnture purchased and walls were repainted.

"At this time, all of the furniture is in place and all of the new 911 equipment is up and running. This was a huge effort because of all the vendors and contractors and the amount of technology involved and it went off relatively smoothly," Lyle said in the statement.

"I am pleased that we were able to achieve our collective goal of improving the work and customer service environment at the Melrose Police Station," said Dolan in the statement. "This is a very positive improvement for both residents and our officers. Dramatic improvements were constructed throughout the station including the dispatch center, customer service area, and reports room. In addition, new radio systems were purchased and are being implemented improving reliability and quality."

Previous Coverage

• Melrose Police Station Renovations to Begin Monday