The Brighton Police Department is hosting an open house

Brighton, New York — Tuesday, Aug. 10, the Brighton Police Department is hosting an open house.

Brighton Police Chief David Catholdi has been with the department since 1999 and next month marks two years serving as chief.

“I am proud of the history of this police department,” Cathodi said. “We are really proud of our training in the academy and our STOP DWI awards from the county, our Explorer’s Post and Boy Scouts of America work.”

The open house is a chance for the public to take a guided tour through the police department and see the briefing room, booking room, fingerprint station, and even the holding cell area. Outside, there will be police cars, fire trucks, and an ambulance to check out.

The open house is an important community connection.

“It is regular folks, members of the community meeting their police officers,” Catholdi said. “This is not a fortress; this is open to the public. I like people coming in and getting introduced to the police officers. Let them come in and see what we do and what equipment we use. I just think it’s better to build that connection with the officer. When the officer can interact with the families and the kids in a less than the stressful environment, I think that’s a win for everybody.”

According to the Brighton Police Department officials, they have 40 full-time officers who cover 15 1/2 square miles and protect anywhere from 35,000 to 100,000 people during the day. The department handles 48,000 calls for service each year.
The open house is free and open to the public.