Milwaukee Common Council passes resolution for MPD's new mobile command post ahead of RNC

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Milwaukee Common Council passed a resolution on Wednesday authorizing the Milwaukee Police Department to buy a new mobile command post with BJA grant monies before the Republican National Convention in July.

Members adopted the resolution 11-4 after hours of back-and-forth discussion that ended up bringing in MPD's chief of staff for clarification and further answers.

Two weeks ago, the council approved the purchase, but Wednesday's meeting focused on how it would be paid for. 

Milwaukee will receive a multimillion-dollar BJA grant to host the RNC, and in order to use that money to cover the cost of the post, the group had to approve Jan. 17 so the vendor with the post would have enough time to ensure its on-time arrival.

Officials said MPD's current mobile command post is "grossly outdated" by nearly seven years and sometimes doesn't work.

MPD Chief of Staff Heather Hough said Wednesday a new one is necessary when it comes to making public safety the top priority for an event as large scale as the RNC is planned to be.