October 7, 2020 – Christy Nadalin, East Bay Newspapers
When the Bristol police station on Metacom Avenue was dedicated 42 years ago, it was lauded as one of the most up to date in New England. Of late, it’s just dated. With old linoleum floors and acoustic tiles that had long been painted over to hide years of cigarette smoke stains, the station was in dire need of some attention.
Fortunately, the department had talent in-house: Greg Silvia and John Mlynek, both senior patrol officers, were reassigned temporarily from regular patrols to painting, refinishing doors, and modernizing the office spaces.
According to Capt. Brian Burke, the Department’s chief of administration, through collective bargaining the chief can temporarily reassign officers for 90 days. It’s done routinely, primarily in the detective division, which allows patrol officers to spend time doing a different kind of police work.