A MOBILE COMMAND unit will soon be the Madison Police Department’s newest law enforcement accessory.
The unit, which will be complete in approximately two months, will allow officers to remain on site at large events and emergency scenes.
The department and city officials recently approved an account with Direct TV, which will allow the mobile unit to have multiple news and weather channels, both local and national, accessible while the unit is in use. The contract for satellite television will cost approximately $116 per month.
“It’s a modified camper bus we’re going to activate as a mobile command unit,” Capt. Kevin Newman said. “This is in addition to some surveillance CCTV capabilities, where we can take it out on emergency scenes, high-risk incidents or special events.”
Newman said the department will hold a “show and tell” for city residents once the unit has been fully outfitted.
The command center will also be equipped with a radio system and a computer system that will connect the main police department database and other law enforcement databases the department has access to.
“It will also be a command center where officers can meet on the scene. It will have a conference area, computerized maps, a white board — everything in a normal command post brought to the scene,” said Newman.
The bus was donated through the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. It was previously used as an on-site location for job fairs.
In summer 2016, the department received a $380,000 grant to fund the mobile communications center.
