Interstate All Battery Center Fights Crime
Franchise owners Don Atkins, left, and Robert Montgomery supplied the unique power solution for the high-tech crime suppression surveillance vehicle, affectionately called the Armadillo. (Courtesy photo | Interstate All Battery Center Lafayette)
A new crime fighting tool is patrolling the streets of Lafayette, La., lending the police an extra set of eyes that never sleeps, all powered by Interstate All Battery Center® in Lafayette.
The Armadillo, an armored truck outfitted with six night vision, all-weather cameras hit the streets in April. The team outfitting the crime suppression surveillance vehicle faced a unique power problem: the former SWAT truck needs around-the-clock power without a generator or household hookup.
The police use the Armadillo as a form of “in-your-face law enforcement,” Police Chief Jim Craft said. The armored truck, with the Lafayette police’s name on the side, stands as a deterrent, an obnoxious reminder that is often parked in front of drug dealers’ houses, he said. The first of its kind deployed in Louisiana, the truck records street-level activity and transmits video to the department and vehicles on patrol.
To solve their power needs, the systems design group, Lafayette-based WOW Technologies, and police approached their local battery experts: the team at Interstate All Battery Center.
The process of devising a power solution took less than a month, All Battery Center co-owner Robert Montgomery said. Manager Mike Melancon (pronounced with the Cajun tongue: “mel-on-sahn”) lent his expertise to the project. The Armadillo uses a variety of batteries to power the truck’s eight different systems and provide backup power: absorbent glass-mat batteries, sealed lead-acid batteries and the familiar Group 31s.
After the Armadillo’s April unveiling, the Lafayette police rolled up to the All Battery Center with some feedback: the power lasts a lot longer than expected.
Montgomery said the police originally expected two days of operation, maybe three days at most. Instead, the power system continued running, topping out on the fourth day. Already, the police department has asked the All Battery Center for a little help to provide solar power to extend operating time further.
The Armadillo’s already made an impact. Drug activity at a few notorious spots around town stopped altogether after police parked the Interstate-powered truck nearby. Video surveillance led to arrests in a few instances where alleged drug dealers flaunted the law in the truck’s presence, thinking an empty truck meant the power was turned off.
In an ironic twist, more than half the money paying to outfit the Armadillo came from money forfeited from drug seizures. A security transportation company originally donated the truck. The police used it as their SWAT unit. With $10,000 from the Lafayette Economic Development Authority and $15,000 from drug seizures, the design team equipped the truck with a 24-hour surveillance system. And of course, the Interstate All Battery Center team provided the power.
Interstate All Battery Center
Are you interested in becoming a battery expert and joining a successful franchise system? Consider franchising with Interstate All Battery Center®. People have trusted the Interstate Batteries® brand since 1952, and its award-winning franchise system can help you claim your piece of the growing battery market. Request your Franchise Information Packet today. You can also learn about us in the news section and on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
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[...] Interstate All Battery Center Fights Crime A new crime fighting tool is patrolling the streets of Lafayette, La., lending the police an extra set of eyes that never sleeps, all powered by Interstate All Battery Center® in Lafayette. Source: allbatteryfranchise.com [...]