LOWELL — Acting Lowell Police Superintendent Barry Golner and Lowell Housing Authority Executive Director Tha Chhan are pleased to report that the Lowell Police Department is opening a new precinct on Gorham Street in downtown Lowell’s Jackson/Appleton/Middlesex area in partnership with the Lowell Housing Authority.
Thanks to the generosity of the Lowell Housing Authority, the new precinct will be located at 145 Gorham St., in the Lowell Housing Authority’s South Common Village property.
“On behalf of the Mayor and City Council, we are glad to see the establishment of this new precinct, and look forward to strengthening community bonds in the neighborhood,” said City Manager Thomas A. Golden, Jr.
The Lowell Housing Authority also funds a full-time police officer who is assigned to patrol Lowell Housing Authority property, and two former Housing officers helped the partnership between LHA and LPD take off.
Former housing officer, and now sergeant, Rafael Rivera, and Officer Jacqueline Mercado were the impetus for this new precinct. This initiative was then guided by Dennis Mercier, Property Manager of South Common Village, who has had a positive working relationship with the LPD for years, and who has always been highly responsive to safety concerns held by residents.
The precinct will be located on the first floor, in an area that has long been a hot spot for disorder crimes such as prostitution and drug offenses. The partnership between LPD and LHA was cultivated to reduce drug and other criminal activity in the neighborhood, unauthorized entry into LHA property and to provide peace of mind to the over 400 residents who call South Common Village home.
The Lowell Police Neighborhood Action Unit, which responds to specific neighborhoods identified as hot spots by crime analysis, will work out of the office, as will Housing Officer Timothy Roussell and patrol officers who are assigned to the neighborhood.
Mercier formerly served as the property manager at the LHA’s North Common Village property, where he worked closely with Lowell Police. That experience made him eager to work with police at the South Common Village, which serves mostly seniors.
“The Lowell Housing Authority has seen success with the police presence at North Common Village, so this building seemed like an ideal location to establish a new precinct to serve the neighborhood,” Mercier said. “This area has become a hot-spot for illegal activity, and it is our hope that working with the LPD we can change the neighborhood.”
“It’s an ideal location, and it will lead to a much greater police presence in that area, which is greatly needed,” said Acting Superintendent Golner. “This is a great partnership with the LHA and it comes at a crucial time. It’s not cheap to lease office space, so when we had an opportunity to open a neighborhood precinct at no cost, we jumped at it.”
The Lowell Housing Authority Board of Commissions was supportive of efforts to open the precinct and the board is excited about the partnership.
“Ensuring the safety and security of our residents is most important, and we anticipate that this arrangement will not only benefit our residents, but will increase the safety for other residents of the community,” said Executive Director Chhan.