Council approves $320,000 retrofit of police mobile command bus to extend service life

The Public Safety Committee approved funding to retrofit the Cleveland Division of Police command bus — a mobile command vehicle used at special events and incidents — after staff said upgrades will restore dispatch capability, cameras and communications systems.

Lieutenant Cannon and department staff described the bus as roughly 12–13 years old and in good mechanical condition, but in need of an upgraded IT package: satellite dish, reliable Wi‑Fi, high‑performance workstations, storage and newer cameras. The ordinance authorizes roughly $320,000 in capital funding to replace slide-outs, update the vehicle’s IT and repair other aging systems so the bus remains operational for another several years.

Why it matters: Officials said a brand‑new mobile command vehicle from a specialized manufacturer would cost more than $1 million; the retrofit is intended to extend the current vehicle’s life by an estimated 8–10 years and restore full command‑post capability. Staff said the bus is still used for events despite limitations, and that the county can sometimes lend a command vehicle if the city’s bus is unavailable during retrofit.

Funding and schedule: Staff told the committee the project is capital-funded; the vendor (Farber) is scheduled to receive the bus for upfitting around mid‑April and the work is expected to take about one to one-and-a-half months. Committee members asked for an itemized cost breakdown of the $320,000 estimate and the vehicle’s current mileage; staff agreed to provide those details.

The committee approved the ordinance as amended (added a cooperative‑purchase notification requirement and inserted the $320,000 estimate) and adjourned.