August 8 — With the Greenwich Police set to occupy their wing of the Public Safety Complex in September, police and volunteers from the Community and Police Partnership (CAPP) will be giving “sneak peak” tours to a broad array of local residents starting Monday.
On the morning of Monday, August 10, the local media, including OurGreenwich.com reporter/columnist Sarah Darer Littman and OurGreenwich.com photo-essayist, John Ferris Robben, will be given a basement to roof-top inspection expected to take an hour and a half or longer. Tuesday evening, all three sectors of CAPP will be given tours, followed Wednesday evening by alumni of the GPD Citizens Police Academy. The following week, (August 17-21) tours will be given to numerous town agencies, civic groups, RTM members and other government officials.
Then, after the headquarters “ribbon-cutting” on Monday morning, August 24, Greenwich citizens who are not involved with groups which signed up for advanced tours will still have an opportunity to tour the new building — along side dignitaries and police officials from neighboring communities who will be on hand for the ceremony.
The new police facility will also be the site of two special events. On Thursday night, August 13, a WGCH remote broadcast of “Greenwich Matters with Sam Romeo” will be broadcast from the cell-block in the new police station, and will feature a “Jail Bail” Fundraiser to benefit the charitable works of the GPD Silver Shield Association.
For the fundraiser, each of the 17 new cells in the police headquarters will be “christened” by a prominent local resident who will be “arrested” by an off-duty Silver Shield member. Each person arrested will be released from jail when he or she posts “bail” in the form of pledges and contributions to the Silver Shield from family and friends. “Bail” will be set by local Probate Judge, David Hopper.
With the secrecy of a grand jury, the “Jail Bail” Chairman, Sam Romeo (who also chairs the East Sector CAPP), is closely guarding the list of “arrestees.” Word did leak out this week, though, when State Representative Fred Camillo, (R-151) posted the following on his Facebook page: “On Thursday, August 13th, I will be arrested at the Greenwich Police Department. “Bail” money will be donated to the Silver Shield. You can, if you like, specify what you would like the money to go toward. For example, you can direct your donation to assist Officers Roger Petrone and Antonio Rivera as they battle illnesses that are accompanied by costly treatments and medicines.” Romeo confirmed the pending “Camillo arrest” on his radio show on Thursday night.
The second “special event” will be on Saturday, August 22, immediately prior to a free Oldies Concert at Roger Sherman Baldwin park sponsored by the Silver Shield, the new building will be the site of a “bring your family to work day” for Greenwich police. Spouses and children of current officers will get to see where “Daddy” or “Mommy” works. Retired GPD officers will get to see the new facility at that time too. (And as one who spent a bit of time at the old police buildings, I can assure you the reaction of the retired police will be priceless.)
