Chandler Police Place New Armored Vehicle Into Service
For Immediate Release
Tuesday September 23, 2008

CHANDLER, AZ. The Chandler Police Department announces the deployment of a new armored vehicle also referred to as a Ballistic Armored Tactical Transport (BATT). This vehicle will be used by the Special Assignment Unit (SAU), which responds to critical life threatening incidents involving weapons. The Chandler Police Department’s SAU is also a member of the Statewide Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Rapid Response Team (RRT), which when called upon will respond to any WMD or terrorist threat to provide tactical assistance. The armored vehicle is capable of deploying 16 team members and specialized equipment to a critical incident while providing ballistic protection to the occupants. 

The BATT will be utilized to evacuate neighborhoods during critical police incidents and provide ballistic protection to the officers involved in resolving the event. It can also be used to rescue injured officers and civilians that have been caught in a hazardous environment in which a ballistic fortified vehicle is the safest option available to rescue them. This vehicle will provide another level of ballistic protection to our officers as they approach a hazardous location and it can also be utilized to defeat a fortified location if necessary.

The new vehicle sits on a 2008 Ford F550 chassis and was manufactured by The Armored Group. It will replace a previously utilized "Peacekeeper" built in 1981 and donated from the Military Surplus Program in 2000. The BATT will provide a more reliable form of ballistic protection and provide more space for officers and equipment.

The BATT vehicle will be on display at future department open houses and upcoming community events.

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