POLICE CHIEF Steven Skory speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Public Safety Building expansion and renovation project. (Mark Sardella Photo)

WAKEFIELD — Several dozen town officials and citizens joined members of the Police Department and the Permanent Building Committee Friday morning for the official groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion and renovation of the Public Safety Building.

Police Chief Steven Skory welcomed those in attendance and thanked “all those who helped make this project a reality. On behalf of the men and women of the Wakefield Police Department and myself, thank you very much.”

Town Councilor Edward Dombroski, who chaired the Public Safety Building Re-Assessment Committee, shared some observations on the project.

“For too long our exceptional men and women of this Department — officers and personnel alike — were required to perform their important work in unreliable conditions and cramped quarters,” Dombroski said. “The needs for improvement were obvious and long overdue.”

Dombroski talked about the history of the project, which included initial approval at Town Meeting, followed by a narrow defeat at the polls.

“But we persisted,” Dombroski said. “We persisted because it was the right thing for our community. We persisted because we had to, for the sake of our dedicated men and women of this Department.

“We considered alternate locations, potential redesigns, opportunities for other funding sources, and even whether the project was even viable,” Dombroski recalled.

“In the end this project was widely supported by the residents of our great town,” Dombroski said.

“Although a small town, Wakefield is fortunate to have a police department that is a national model of excellence,” Dombroski added. “I’d put your level of professionalism, talent, and compassion up against any department in any major city or small community.

“This building, once completed, will truly be a facility befitting of the incredible quality Department of those who protect and serve us all. A facility that meets the needs of 21st century policing.

“Thank you to everyone who has been a part of the team to make this day a reality,” Dombroski said.