Committee to Study New Police Station Amid Severe Flooding and Overcrowding-August 24, 1994

Thirty years after the brick public safety building on Nahatan Street was erected, town officials in Norwood are once again debating the future of the local police department. During a meeting last night, the Board of Selectmen voted to create a specialized committee to study whether the department of 100 officers should be relocated to an existing municipal building or if a brand-new facility is required.

The debate reignited following two severe rainstorms earlier in the month that caused catastrophic flooding on the ground floor of the station at 137 Nahatan St., where the detective division is housed. Heavy downpours on August 13 and August 18 overwhelmed local drainage systems, sending water rushing through three doorways into the building. The floods damaged active files, vital computer data, and technical equipment, leaving behind a persistent odor. Town Manager John Carroll acknowledged that the flooding stems from inadequate drainage pipes incapable of handling heavy downpours.

Operational Struggles and Overcrowding

Police officials described daily working conditions as nearly untenable. Sgt. William Brooks, head of the detective division, noted that investigators have been forced to work with rolled-up pants in water-logged offices. “No one is going to confess,” Brooks remarked regarding the compromised environment. Police Chief George DiBlasi added that the two-story facility has reached a breaking point, suffering from severe overcrowding, a lack of storage for case files, and a faulty ground-floor heating system that forces employees to wear coats and hats during winter months.

While Selectmen Domenic Fruci, Timothy McDonough, and Chairman Thomas Riolo supported investigating expansion or new construction, the proposal faced immediate and vocal resistance. Selectmen William Butters and John Kinnaly vowed to block any new station plans. “We cannot afford a new police department,” Kinnaly argued, contending that the town has more pressing municipal responsibilities and pointing out that a state-of-the-art facility would cost millions. Furthermore, Kinnaly accused Town Manager Carroll and Chief DiBlasi of orchestrating a push to acquire the former Stop & Shop supermarket site on Central Street for a new station—an allegation DiBlasi firmly denied, stating he was merely highlighting an urgent operational crisis.

To offset the financial burden, Chief DiBlasi and Manager Carroll pointed to a recently passed state legislative bill offering a 50 percent reimbursement for police station renovation or construction projects, arguing that Norwood is well-positioned to qualify. “This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Carroll said. The newly formed study committee is expected to report back to the selectmen within two weeks. (Reporting by Heesun Wee, The Patriot Ledger).

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger