Sherbrooke Police show off new mobile command post
It might look like it just drove off the nearest campground, but the Sherbrooke Police Service’s (SPS) new mobile command post is not your average RV. Rewired to serve as an extension of police headquarters on Maurice-houle Street and staffed with a team of six officers dedicated to its operation and upkeep, the vehicle unveiled on Tuesday morning is something that SPS Director Danny Mcconnell said will prove to be an invaluable addition to the local police toolkit.
“This is not an innovation. There are other police forces of about the same
size as the Sherbrooke Police that have a similar command post,” Mcconnell said. “It has become necessary for the SPS to have such a vehicle to become more effective and more present in the community.”
The director explained that the primary uses of the post will be to help with search and rescue efforts, crowd control, and criminal investigations although he noted that the vehicle will also serve as a way to bring the police force into closer contact with the community at major events.
“We estimate at least 25-30 times that this vehicle will be deployed in the coming year,” Mcconnell said, explaining that the first such situation will be its on-site deployment at the Lac des Nations music festival this week. “Police commanders will be able to reach the population right where they are,” the director continued.
Sherbrooke City Manager Yves Vermette, who was present at Tuesday’s unveiling, called the command post a good compromise that will do the job.
“This has been a request from the police for years, we are happy to see it become a reality in a way that is affordable for the citizens,” Vermette said, adding that the converted Recreational Vehicle was acquired from a Sherbrooke business after a public call for tenders.
“This is not a new vehicle,” Mcconnell said, putting the total budget for the purchase value, set-up costs, and equipment at $150,000. The vehicle, he specified, is a 2013 model Ford with 28,000km already under its belt. He called the cost of setting up the command post “extremely reasonable” considering the amount of use it will get.
Although the interior décor of the vehicle still looks much like a mobile home, the police director pointed out that the beds and some of the benches have been removed to create desk and meeting spaces. A camera system and police radio has also been installed and, he said, a 360 degree camera will soon be set up on the roof of the RV.
“It more than covers our needs,” Mcconnell said.