FBI Command Center tours to highlight 'Salute to Law Enforcement'

More than 100 members of law enforcement agencies will gather at the Willowbrook Mall on May 7 for the 2011 Salute to Law Enforcement.

The event will include activities such as children’s fingerprinting from the Harris County Sheriff's Department, safety checks of children's car seats and tours of the FBI Mobile Command Center.

The free child seat safety checks will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and facilitated by the Harris County Sheriff's Department and State Farm Insurance. Local offices of the insurance company will have certified instructors on-hand to examine car seats to determine if they are properly installed in individual cars. There is no charge for child car seats to be checked.

Tours of the FBI Mobile Command Center will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. To manage investigations, the FBI has a Mobile Command Center that is a specially equipped vehicle staffed by personnel. The center has the latest cellular and satellite communications equipment and can link up with other FBI communications. The vehicle, staffed by agents, will be at the event.

Another item of interest at the event will be a 2001 Harley-Davidson police bike, which was purchased from the New York Police Department. The bike has been restored to its original service status when it served night and day in the aftermath of 9/11. The bike is used in law enforcement in Texas and represents a tribute to all who perished in New York City, Arlington, Va., and Somerset County, Pa.

SWAT teams, police beat officers, EMTs, officers on horseback, and drug-sniffing dogs will also be represented at the event. The U.S. Secret Service, depending on scheduling, will have a Presidential limousine and a Presidential Suburban on display. The Salute is free to the public, but funds raised from sponsorships are contributed to the cost of the event, the scholarship fund, Greater Houston COPS and the support of the 100 Club, an organization that supports members of the local law enforcement community.

For more information, visit www.salutetolawenforcement.org.