Alabama Troopers fight crime with BAT Mobiles

Alabama State Troopers statewide are taking a new weapon against DUIs to the place where it counts the most — the streets.

Nine Breath-alcohol Testing Mobiles — BAT Mobiles — with breath-alcohol testing equipment and a holding facility on board were recently given to Alabama State Troopers posts across the state, including the one in Opelika.

The vehicles were purchased with a $1.4 million grant administered by the Alabama Department of Economics and Community Affairs. The vehicles were equipped by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences.

The Opelika-based BAT Mobile will be used in Lee, Chambers, Macon, Coosa, Tallapoosa and Russell counties, Alabama State Trooper Lt. James Patterson said. The unit will provide roadside breath-alcohol testing, he said.

Getting immediate results in DUI cases is crucial for state troopers, who often serve rural areas located up to 40 miles from a testing facility, Patterson said.

“This allows us to take the testing facility to the location where the arrest is and prevents delays between arrests and testing,” he said.

The Opelika BAT Mobile was used for the first time in Lee County Thursday night at a checkpoint on Lee Road 246 in Smiths Station, part of the statewide “Take Back Our Highways” campaign during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

The holiday highway campaigns will enforce all traffic and vehicle safety laws, including equipment violations, seat belt and child restraint laws.

“We’re attempting to prevent all those violations that lead to death and injuries,” Patterson said.