Methuen Police Chief Joseph Solomon thanks auto body instructor Thomas Hatem in front of the call box Hatem restored. (Courtesy photograph.)
Methuen police station now sports a restored old call box and pedestal thanks to the efforts of Thomas Hatem, an auto body instructor at Greater Lawrence Technical School.
The call box, discovered last year by Methuen Police Officer Aaron Little, was found at the intersection of Jackson and Berkley Streets in Lawrence. It was covered in a trash bag and duct tape, and in poor condition due to weather damage, according to Methuen Mayor Steve Zanni and Police Chief Joseph Solomon.
“Thomas Hatem has volunteered many hours and materials from his garage in order to restore the police call box and pedestal, which turned out to be a wonderful addition to our collection,” Solomon said. “We are grateful for the work that he has done for the Methuen Police Department to facilitate various projects and thank him for his continual willingness to assist us.”
After Little found the box, Solomon contacted Lawrence Police Chief James Fitzpatrick and Lawrence Fire Chief Brian Moriarty, who agreed to donate the call box to Methuen’s artifact collection, which includes items such as old police logs, uniforms and equipment. It is now on display at the entrance of Sanborn Hall.
Little reached out to Hatem and asked if he would repair the call box. Hatem donated the time and materials for the project, which took about two months to complete. He has previously assisted with other projects for the Methuen Police Department, including repairs to rust or small dents on undercover police cars.
“I would like to extend many thanks to Thomas Hatem for his work over the years which has benefitted the police department and city as a whole,” Mayor Zanni said. “He has sacrificed his time to provide another piece of quality work to the department.”