Atwater police to get $150,000 mobile command post truck — at no cost. Here’s how

The Atwater Police Department is getting a mobile command post vehicle valued at $150,000 for free.

The Atwater City Council approved the transfer of the vehicle from the Grover Beach Police Department on Monday. Atwater police will be able to use the vehicle, a 1994 Chevrolet box truck, as an incident or crime scene command post.

“In the event that we had to leave this building, we could take our dispatch center on the road,” Atwater Police Chief Michael Salvador said during Monday’s City Council meeting.

Salvador said he’s developed relationships with other police chiefs all over the state and one of them, Chief John Peters of the Grover Beach Police Department in San Luis Obisbo County, offered Atwater an old police mobile command post vehicle they’d been using to respond to violent crime.

“I took a look at it and it did meet our needs,” Salvador said. “It’s got a two-position communications center, plus enough storage to take our crime scene van equipment and put it on one vehicle.”

Mobile command post vehicles can be used for responding to crime or for assisting in community events, like Atwater’s Fourth of July activities. Without one, Atwater police have had to rely on vehicles on loan from other agencies, if they were even available, according to a City Council agenda report.

The mobile command vehicle comes equipped with communications gear, external lighting and environmental equipment.

It provides Atwater police with the technology needed to relocate dispatch, respond to crime and conduct investigations in all weather conditions, according to city documents. There is also a compartment and wiring for a TV display station.

“We can take it where we need to take it in the city of Atwater,” Salvador said.

The vehicle has 17,000 miles on it, Salvador said, and includes radios, computers and internet router.

Salvador estimated the vehicle is worth more than $150,000, and despite being on a 1994 Chevrolet chassis, is meticulously maintained and in good shape. The vehicle was used by Grover Beach police as recently as last month and recently underwent maintenance.

“We’re getting a $150,000 vehicle for nothing,” Salvador said. “This is going to increase our capabilities exponentially. We will no longer need to rely on county resources or EMS resources because we’ll have our own.”