- February 19, 2025
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Escorted by the Sarasota Police Department Motor Unit, the city’s newest emergency response vehicle rolled up to SPD’s headquarters on Friday, Jan. 31.
At nearly $1 million, the department’s new mobile command center has been placed into action after an 18-month wait since its purchase was approved by the Sarasota City Commission.
As media members photographed the new vehicle, the SPD’s old mobile unit stood nearby, striking a stark contrast. At one-fourth the size, the white trailer had to be towed into place by a truck and powered by an onboard generator. The new mobile command center can be driven to live crime or emergency scenes with space and onboard technology to accommodate multiple operations.
It even has a bathroom.
“My administrative assistant said it the best today. She said we went from the Flintstones to the Jetsons,” said SPD Chief Rex Troche. “This is the next level for this agency. We have been building out our drone program. We're currently building our real time operations center. And this is just another piece of the puzzle to have a piece of technology like this within our city for our use, for our citizens, to ensure safety.”
The new mobile command center will enhance SPD’s ability to manage large-scale events, hurricanes and other emergency situations by providing an on-site hub for extended deployments, ensuring efficient coordination and response.
Funding for the mobile command center includes $800,000 in American Rescue Plan funds approved in 2022 by the Sarasota City Commission. The remainder was paid for through the city’s Law Enforcement Trust Fund.
“This was a dream," Troche said. "About two years ago, we pitched it, we asked for it, and then a few months later, we got the green light on it. We've been waiting for it due to shortages with supplies over the last year or so, but we're so excited to have it. We are going to utilize it as much as we can.”
The old mobile command center isn’t going anywhere. In addition to serving as an auxiliary unit, it will be deployed for events such as boat races and other large events where, at the very least, it can be used as a relief station for on-duty officers.
Troche called the new unit a “force multiplier,” incorporating multiple technologies to accommodate with the SPD’s burgeoning drone program and coordinate with its real-time operations center, which is still under development.
“The best thing is going to be communications at different levels," Troche said. "In the back you’ll have command staff who will be listening to the crisis negotiators in real time. Then on the outside, you're going to have a drone operator because we have a monitor where they can watch their drone flying over any type of target. We'll also have dispatchers within the center.”
The vehicle wrap was designed by students at Ringling College of Art and Design.
