Black River Technical College (BRTC) B.A.T. Program Coordinator Ashley Boles recently spoke to Lawrence County Rotary Club about the BRTC Law Enforcement Training Academy and how the Blood Alcohol Testing (B.A.T.) Mobile is used.
The BRTC Law Enforcement Academy provides basic and advanced training for officers across Arkansas. Graduates receive a Commission of Law Enforcement Standards and Training certification and certificate of proficiency from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.
The B.A.T. Mobile was funded through a grant from the Arkansas Highway Safety Office under the Arkansas State Police. BRTC was awarded $565,570 in 2021 for the program and to cover the costs of a new vehicle. The program was created at BRTC in 2008.
The B.A.T. Mobile is used to provide advanced training, and on-site technical and equipment support to law enforcement officers/agencies conducting low-staffing and multi-agency sobriety checkpoints in order to deter impaired driving. It is available for use by all law enforcement agencies in the state of Arkansas and B.A.T. Project Instructor Ashley Boles who leads the program makes sure the B.A.T. Mobile is available for tours at schools and community events.
The B.A.T. Mobile is a 38-foot long, 13.5-foot tall Freightliner truck built by MBF Industries in Sanford, Florida. It is equipped with nine cameras which provide a 360-degree recorded coverage of sobriety checkpoint activities, five on the exterior, two on the interior, and one on the 30-foot LED light tower offering a bird’s eye view of the checkpoint. The interior cameras record officers performing Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) and Drug Recognition Evaluations (DREs). The last camera system on the vehicle is a Hawkeye HGN camera system that magnifies and records eye movements during the administration of the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) portion of the SFST. All interior cameras are equipped with audio recording.
It is also equipped with hydraulic leveling jacks to level the surface in order for a subject to perform the two psychophysical tests of the SFSTs in a neutral environment. There is also an exam room and equipment onboard to complete drug recognition evaluations.
The B.A.T. Mobile is equipped with a Verizon 5G wireless router, Dish Network, and a satellite phone. The rear of the B.A.T. Mobile has a 36″x 60″ LED message board for traffic advisories, public service messages, and promotional pictures. The B.A.T. Mobile is also equipped with the following equipment for checkpoints: traffic cones, warning signs, safety flares, portable speed bumps, and portable stop signs.