METRO Police Mobile Operations Command Center starts duty at Houston's Moody Park

METRO Police Department introduced its Mobile Operations Command Center at Moody Park on Oct. 8, the first stop for a vehicle the agency will move to neighborhoods where officers are needed.

The department calls the unit a Mobile Operations Command Center, or MOCC. It is an RV-style vehicle with workstations, communication systems and room for officers to meet with members of the public, take reports and coordinate activities in real time.

The command center also has a camera system with live surveillance and drone capabilities, the department said.

METRO Police Chief Ban Tien said the vehicle is meant to bring police services closer to riders and residents rather than require people to go to a fixed facility.

"Our officers are here to serve people. We want our customers and community members to know they can approach us, talk to us and ask for help," Tien said.

Tien said Moody Park is the first stop for the mobile command center and that the unit can move where demand is greatest.

"Moody Park is our first stop, but the strength of this resource is its mobility and our ability to bring it directly to where it is needed most," he said.

The department said the mobile unit will help decentralize its resources. Officers assigned to the vehicle will provide services and assistance at the park and at future stops.

Tien said the command center will likely remain at Moody Park for up to two months. The department has not announced where it will go next.