Thomaston Police Department will now be able to process crime scenes more quickly and preserve more evidence with the help of their new trailer generator light tower.

Advertisement The tower, which can easily illuminate an area of five to seven acres with its four large lights, was completely funded by a Homeland Security grant. Police Chief Eugene Torrence said the light will be useful for night situations, whether it be for directing traffic or responding to a motor vehicle or other crime. It will also be available for the highway and sewer departments for other nighttime emergency jobs.

The light, which is portable and can be pulled by the department's Dodge Durangos or any Highway Department vehicle, can be used in fields, yards or on streets with minimal light. Previously, the police relied on the fire department for light support, taking away this vital town resource, said Torrence.

Not only does the generator power up the lights, but it can also be used to power the station's communication system if it lost power or the department's radio tower and receiver site, which is currently backed up by battery. The highway department could also use the generator to power equipment or watering pumps.

It takes about five minutes to for the lights to warm up as they are cranked up about 30 feet on the tower and the generator runs on diesel fuel.

Detective Sgt. James Campbell and Highway Superintendent Paul Pronovost worked on the grant for the light together, which cost about $8,000.

The light will also be used with the Northwest Regional Accident Team investigations, which include the police departments of Thomaston, Torrington and Winsted. Torrence said neither Torrington nor Winsted currently have such a light.

Campbell said in the past the department has also had to hold scenes until daylight to process, making it more difficult to preserve evidence in a crime scene area.

With the new lights, processing can be done immediately, which may make solving investigations easier for the department, and rely on less overtime hours for the officers involved.