Chandler deploys new armored vehicle

Chandler, AZ - The Chandler Police Department deployed a new armored vehicle, the Ballistic Armored Tactical Transport (BATT), on September 23, 2008, said Detective David Ramer, Public Information Officer.

The need for the new armored vehicle came from the out-dated armored vehicle it was replacing, said Lt. Shawn Hawkins of the Special Assignment Unit (SAU), during a ride-along interview in the BATT on Tuesday.

On average, Hawkins reported that the old armored vehicle, known as the “Peacekeeper” went on call about 10-12 times a year and expects the same average number for the BATT in the coming years.

Hawkins noted that although the BATT is ready for deployment it has not officially been on a call. He said that the fact that it has not had to be deployed yet is a good thing, but he expects it will need to be sent on call in the coming months.

Hawkins explained that the end of the year is the peak time for criminal activity. He said that Chandler has had four homicides so far this year compared to the 10 reported from 2007, according to the Chandler Police Department‘s crime statistics.

Armored vehicles are typically deployed for calls related to hostile environments, such as a barricaded suspect threatening to kill either themselves or someone else; having an up-to-date armored vehicle in a ballistic situation is a comfort, Hawkins said.

Along with the new technology that the BATT provides, one of the best things about it is the amount of space it affords for its occupants and the air conditioning, said Hawkins.

“The two biggest complaints we got from [the team members] was about the heat and lack of space,” said Hawkins about the “Peacekeeper.”

The “Peacekeeper” could only hold about six to eight team members at a time, Hawkins said. The BATT is equipped to deploy 16 team members.

Hawkins also pointed out that the BATT drives exactly like a regular car despite weighing almost 20,000 pounds. Unlike the “Peacekeeper,” in which the driver would have to begin stopping the vehicle about four to five car lengths ahead of a red light, the BATT can begin braking at the same distance from the light as a normal car would.

The BATT is one of the newest, up-to-date armored vehicles in the nation. Hawkins noted that the company who manufactured the vehicle, The Armored Group, was even planning to use the vehicle on the brochures they distribute nationwide.

The police department will continue to use the “Peacekeeper” as a back-up armored vehicle and for community events as long as it will run, Hawkins said. When the vehicle can no longer be used, the police department has plans to retire it to a city museum.

Guest article contributed by Emily Chicoine
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication