New Britain Police Station

The effort to create a modern facility for the New Britain Police Department was a model project in both teamwork and technology. The City hired Downes Construction Company to provide a comprehensive Design- Build approach upon purchase of an important downtown location at the corner of Chestnut and Main Street. Downes provided a not-to-exceed price from conceptual plans by architect Kaestle Boos Associates. The cost included full design services from land survey and soils engineering to furniture, specialty equipment, and relocation services. 

Downes worked closely with many City departments and the command staff at the Police Department to coordinate every detail of the project. The new facility includes four levels for the police and a top floor for Dispatch and the Emergency Operations Center. The entire building is wired with fiber optic cabling to permit a wide range of current technologies and the capacity to grow with any new innovation. 

A modern forensics lab is located adjacent to the Detectives Bureau including a digital forensics unit. A signal isolation room allows the technicians to dissect personal computers and hand-held devices useful in reconstructing a suspect’s history. The New Britain Police Department also provides a police academy to regional departments and this new building is fully equipped with a tiered lecture room for 100, a library, a physical combat training room, and a multifunction digital pistol range.