"We have more cameras in here than Fort Knox," he joked.

He quickly returned behind the scenes through a door to the left and, after a quick right turn, was in the new, dual-operating dispatch center. The center was renovated in January as part of an almost $300,000 package paid for with Homeland Security grant money.

Clerk Richard Roderick, seated behind the array of computer screens phones and keyboards, said the package is attached to a new telecommunications radio tower outside, as well as 20 cameras, audio and video recorders throughout the complex.

In the middle of his about-face, Lt. Gonsalves peered through a small window in the dispatch center into the Officer in Charge's office, where the department's Federal Communications Commission licenses and a map of Bristol hang.

"A roster of everyone's phone number and address is there too," he said.

While leaving the dispatch center and walking toward the break room, Lt. Gonsalves ran into Deputy Chief Josue D. Canario, who said he was excited about the facility upgrades and the department's growth.

He should be.

Big changes

The department recently became the eighth police force in Rhode Island to earn accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

"At our final review three weeks ago, a team of 21 CALEA assessors said we were one of the best out of about 100 departments they assessed," Deputy Chief Canario said.

Since starting the drive toward accreditation in 2004, officers say their department has solidified, strengthened and emerged as one of the state's best.

Lt. Gonsalves, who managed the accreditation process, said the department was in compliance with about 80 percent of CALEA's fundamental standards upon starting its voluntary application process. He said the necessary 20 percent remaining led to the addition of 51 standards to the department's policy and procedures manual.

"The standards will strengthen our crime prevention and control capabilities, boost citizen, town and staff confidence in the agency, improve service, formalize essential procedures and solidify interagency cooperation and coordination."

Aside from adhering to an increased list of standards, which led to multiple facility upgrades for the department, Lt. Gonsalves said training has been a key to having a department full of prepared, professional officers.

Behind the scenes

Though the accreditation had a huge impact on the department's regulation, it also left its mark on the building itself.

Lt. Gonsalves unbolted the detention facility, a small, colorless cinderblock room with no windows, designated for uncooperative, violent detainees.

"Here is a bed we added two years ago, for those who will stay a while," he said.

Lt. Gonsalves turned right and pointed out the gun rack.

"In this rack here, we hold two 40-calliber machine guns and 12-gauge shotguns," he said. "And to the right are the temporary evidence containers we got a couple years ago, one of which is a refrigeration unit for perishable items, like blood."

As he exited the report room, Lt. Gonsalves noted the private interview room, outside of which hung three lock boxes for officers' weapons.

"As part of nation-wide standards, following some unfortunate incidents, officers can't approach prisoners in lock-up or interrogation with weapons."

"It's not like what you see on TV," he said, heading back down the hall. "We have rooms with 'No Weapons' signs, and lock boxes placed accordingly around the department."

Evidence lockers

In the garage, he pointed out the large evidence cage installed earlier this year to adhere with CALEA standards, where pieces of vehicles and large items are stored.

Back inside and further down the hallway was the booking and processing room, also designated as a "no weapons room." It contains large and small lockers for prisoners' property, a large breathalyzer machine and a brand new live scanner for finger printing.

"This has replaced what were once a messy ink pad system and later a larger, less advanced computer system," he said."The new scanner can instantly send information to the state" and the FBI.

Cell blocks

Lt. Gonsalves did not have to walk far to reach his next destination: the three-cell male cell block.

"Three years ago we used part of a $1,000 grant to install a strip of Plexiglas on the cell doors to give the prisoners privacy," he said. "These cells undergo weekly inspections and cleaning by our custodian, Mike Nappi, who also works for the highway department."

Lt. Gonsalves proceeded down the corridor from the male cell block, and pointed to the female detainment rooms.

"As part of a CALEA standard we also have audio and visual surveillance on all of our cells," he said. "If prisoners need anything, they can simply make a verbal request out loud, and it will be heard."

Training is key

Heading downstairs toward the training room, Lt. Gonsalves said he is thankful the town granted the department this important space when the building was built in the 1970s, and he said the department is grateful for Chief Russell Serpa's dedication over the last 10 years to revamping and updating it.

Chief Serpa said he purchased $4,000 worth of equipment for the training room in 1998. It is equipped with surround sound, electronics and presentation software. In 1996, he also used grants and gym equipment donated by the department's union to revamp the workout room next door.

That followed 2003 and 2004 renovations of the downstairs fire range.

"We are one of four departments in the state to have our own indoor range," Chief Serpa said.

From inside the range, Lt. Gonsalves demonstrated the new lighting, backstop and automated system with moving targets.

"We train in the dark and with sirens and emergency lights to practice stress situations," he said.

"It is not a soundproof range, but after the renovations, we have used lead free ammunition and with new backdrop, bullets hit and the backstop and disintegrate into non-toxic dust, which is caught in catch basins."

On his way back upstairs, Lt. Gonsalves said the department has also opened its firing range to nearby departments.

Commanding vehicle

At the top of the stairwell, Lt. Gonsalves turned right out a side door and made his final stop outside the building in front of the detached garage at the back left corner of the officers' parking lot.

"This is perhaps one of the most impressive facilities in the department," he said standing in front of a large "CSI"-esque mobile command vehicle.

The department purchased the large vehicle in 2004 with a $250,000 grant from the Department of Homeland Security.

Chief Serpa said it can serve as a crime scene lab, a dispatch center and is equipped to the degree where it can act as a fully operating police department building, if need be.

"Our mobile command center is among the best in the state," Chief Serpa said.

What are the changes?

The Bristol Police Department has undergone many improvements over the past 10 years, and many of them occurred throughout its three-year voluntary quest for accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), which it earned this past November. Some of the visual improvements include:

* A refurbished, dual-operating dispatch center for police, fire and rescue and a new radio tower secured with a fence, which also provides an area to hold temporarily seized vehicles. The package cost almost $300,000, and was paid for by Homeland Security grant money.

* An electronic finger printing scanner in the booking and processing room, replacing the old ink pad system.

* A large evidence cage was installed in the main garage for large pieces of evidence like automobile parts and other large items.

* Lt. Gonsalves created a town crime analysis report for 2006 and an equal opportunity recruitment plan. Chief Serpa created a police department selective traffic enforcement analysis report.

* Diverse temporary evidence containers, one of which is a refrigerated unit, added to the Officer In Charge's office.

* Signs have been posted, both in English and Portuguese, notifying prisoners of fire escape routes. Prisoners can also make requests via the building's audio and visual surveillance.

* A bed was added to the detention facility for uncooperative, violent juveniles.

* A mobile command vehicle was purchased in 2004 with a $250,000 grant from the Department of Homeland Security. The large vehicle serves as a mobile crime lab and dispatch center and is equipped to the degree where it can act as a fully operating police department building.

* The clerk's office is now equipped with more modern computers and is shielded from the lobby by a bullet-proof glass window

* A segment of plexiglass attached to the three male prison cell doors gives prisoners privacy. It was paid for with a $1,000.

The building's basement from has been revamped, in a process running from 1996 to this year.

* A new backstop on the downstairs fire range includes an automated system with moving targets, siren and emergency lights to practice stress situations and firing in the dark.

* A training room with stereo, projection equipment and presentation software has been added.

Since 1996, the department has improved the downstairs workout facilities piece-by-piece, with the help of equipment donated by the police union.

By Jeremy Rosen

jrosen@eastbaynewspapers.com