Even the Cops Want to Hang Out at the Mardi Gras

Boston and Providence have movie trailers; Springfield has the Mobile Command Center, an impressive vehicle the Police Department parks weekend evenings on Dwight Street, next to the Mardi Gras Gentleman's Club. That's right in the heart of the Club District.

I spoke to two cops stationed next to the vehicle the last time I was walking past with the dog, around 1 a.m. I asked them what it was for, said I lived in the neighborhood and wanted to know what was up. One cop, looking at Taz, joked, It's a mobile dog pound. The other, more serious, said, It's a mobile command center. We can book people from here, or do anything else we'd do from the station. But mainly it's a deterrent.

All the raunchy online forums will tell you to steer clear of Springfield if you want to buy drugs or sex. The Mobile Command Center might be one of the reasons why.