Fallen Vicksburg police officers are being remembered and honored this week by today’s force.

“This is a week dedicated to our fallen comrades,” said VPD Deputy Chief Richard O’Bannon.

If you go

The Vicksburg Police Department will check and distribute car seats at Wal-Mart SuperCenter parking lot in Vicksburg from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday as part of National Police Week. Anyone is welcome to apply and receive a free car seat or have your car seat checked by police officers.

During the week, the VPD is presenting its new 30-foot mobile command unit obtained through a federal grant from the Department of Justice and holding a car seat checkpoint and distribution event Friday afternoon at Wal-Mart SuperCenter in Vicksburg.

The mobile command unit is an addition to the VPD and is dedicated to the memory of three police officers killed in the line of duty in VPD history.

The officers, whose names are painted on the  unit, are Capt. Charles Stipes, died Nov. 5, 1916; Patrolman Robert Forbish, died April 1, 1927; and Patrolman James Goode, died Jan. 6, 1930.

The trailer, equipped with two conference rooms, a computer system, a restroom and small kitchen appliances, also serves as an off-site operation unit for the VPD and other city departments.

Police are able to book people on-site and take them to a holding cell rather than booking them at department headquarters  on Veto Street.

With the added savvy communications tools such as radios, call service, voice over IP phones and a computer system, officers are able to log into the computer system in the command unit and operate as if they were at the station.

“We have the ability to take the police station and minimize it and the ability to service the people,” O’Bannon said.

The command unit was used for the first time during Riverfest in April.

The car seat checkpoint and distribution event Friday at Wal-Mart will have police officers checking on the installation of child car seats and seats will be distributed free.

Dean Anderson, educator and compliance coordinator for the City of Vicksburg, said the VPD will hand out about 60 infant car seats and toddler booster seats to any parent who applies.

The seats were obtained through the Occupant Safety Grant, which allows the VPD to hold this kind of event throughout the year.

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Contact Manivanh Chanprasith at mchan@vicksburgpost.com