More information....
According to the following article, it was the vehicle that was just sitting around for years near the department's basement garage doors. I'm gonna get some exterior photos of it on the way to work later today, and post later. For now, here's the article from today's Macomb Daily:
Police station goes mobile
By Norb Franz
Macomb Daily Staff Writer
Warren's newest police station opens Monday, but without a building.
A 32-foot, motor home-style vehicle used sparingly in recent years as a mobile command center will have the added function as a mini-station in an effort to boost police presence in neighborhoods and to make it convenient for the public to report crime and accidents.
The rig will be parked and periodically rotated at various locations in the city. The increased use of the vehicle was ordered by Mayor Jim Fouts, who for years has called for an additional police facility, particularly to deter crime on the city's south side, between Eight Mile and 11 Mile roads.
The vehicle won't be used to patrol neighborhoods, but Fouts is confident its visibility will deter crime.
"It sends a message to would-be criminals that we're ready for you," Fouts said Friday outside the Owen Jax Recreation Center on Nine Mile near Van Dyke, the first location for the police station on wheels.
Initial plans call for an officer to occupy the mini-station daily between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., with a second officer taking over from 4 p.m. to midnight. At the end of the day, that officer will drive it back to a city-owned garage until the following morning.
With the mini-station, residents and non-residents will have an option other than the Warren police headquarters on Civic Center Drive, near 12 Mile and Van Dyke, to submit car accident reports or to notify officers about neighborhood crime, acting Police Commissioner Jere Green said.
"This creates an environment for citizens to come to on a relaxed basis. If they know the vehicle is two blocks away, they'll walk over and walk in," Green said.
To that end, the city intends to publicize the location on Warren's government cable television channels and the city's Web site. Officers mostly will occupy the vehicle at shopping centers and other commercial properties around town.
The rig -- a 1997 Winnebago RV body fitted on a 1998 Chevrolet motor home chassis -- was designed and constructed by members of UAW Local 160 and donated to the city by General Motors in 2004. It is powered by a 290-horsepower Vortec 7400 V-8 engine and has a 12,000-watt generator and 12-volt and 110-volt electrical systems for on-board equipment. The vehicle also is equipped with a self-leveling system, coaxial cable local area network, satellite television and radios, four TVs, a computer and printer, upgraded radio system, 360-degree exterior scene lighting and a kitchenette.
As a command center, the rig has been deployed at high-profile public events and for emergencies requiring extensive or prolonged police presence.
On Paige Avenue just north of Owen Jax Recreation Center, resident Larry Monette believes the mobile mini-station is a good idea.
"Every little bit helps in this part of town," said Monette, pointing out that it already has proven worthy.
"As soon as they pulled up, cars started slowing down," he said.
The manning of the mini-station won't reduce patrol manpower, Fouts explained, because he won't use a police chauffeur like his predecessor, Mark Steenbergh.
Officials plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the mobile mini-station in six months.
