The Tempe Police Department handles more than 30 large-scale events every year. From college football games to marathons to music festivals, their Threat Mitigation Unit has built a deployment strategy around one consistent tool: The RATT (Rapid All-Terrain Tower). On November 23, 2024, Tempe PD deployed The RATT outside Mountain America Stadium for the ASU vs. BYU football game, where over 50,000 fans packed the venue for a nationally televised matchup. The unit gave officers elevated, real-time visibility of pedestrian flow at entry and exit points before, during, and after the game.
The Challenge: Managing Safety Outside a High-Profile Sporting Event
Large college football games create security challenges that extend well beyond the stadium walls. The parking lots, walkways, and surrounding streets are where crowds build, where tensions rise, and where officers have the least visibility. At Mountain America Stadium, with national media on-site and both fan bases traveling in large numbers, Tempe PD needed a way to monitor high-traffic areas in real time without pulling officers off the ground.
The specific gaps they needed to fill:
- Crowd visibility at entry and exit points where foot traffic concentrates
- An elevated perspective to spot developing situations before they escalate
- Real-time video accessible to command staff for faster resource decisions
The Deployment: RATT RQ621 on a Vehicle Hitch Outside the Stadium
Tempe PD deployed the RATT RQ621 Single-Sensor Mobile Monitoring Tower mounted on a vehicle hitch receiver outside Mountain America Stadium. The unit was up and operational in minutes. Officers used a joystick controller to pan and zoom the PTZ camera from inside the vehicle, feeding live video directly to command staff.
Key capabilities in this deployment:
- Telescoping mast up to 33 feet for an elevated view above crowd level
- HD PTZ camera with IR night vision for coverage into the evening hours
- Real-time video streaming to command staff on any device with internet access
- Vehicle-powered operation with no generator or external power required
- Repositionable as crowd movement shifted throughout the event
“The RATT provided us with an enhanced perspective, making it easier to maintain situational awareness and adapt to the dynamic flow of the event,” said Detective Dave Gibson of the Tempe Police Department.
That ability to reposition is one of the things that sets The RATT apart from fixed camera infrastructure. As the game ended and crowds shifted from inside the stadium to the surrounding streets and parking areas, the unit moved with them.
The Impact: Elevated Visibility Supporting Faster Decisions
The RATT gave Tempe PD’s command staff a direct view of crowd conditions at the areas of highest concern throughout the event. Officers on the ground received updated direction based on what the camera was showing in real time, reducing response lag and helping the department allocate resources to where they were actually needed.
- Live video to command staff for informed, real-time deployment decisions
- Expanded visual coverage of high-traffic entry and exit zones
- Flexible repositioning as crowd density shifted during and after the game
- Recorded footage available for post-event review and officer training
“The RATT is a valuable tool that helped us enhance visibility and effectively adapt to the dynamic flow of the event,” Gibson noted. “It’s become such a reliable asset that other departments often ask us about it. It’s proven itself in these environments.”
More From Tempe PD
The ASU vs. BYU game is one of dozens of deployments Tempe PD runs each year. Read how they supported Scottsdale PD with The RATT at the 2025 Waste Management Phoenix Open, or hear Detective Gibson walk through their full event security strategy on the Shots Fired Podcast.
Ready to See What The RATT Can Do for Your Agency?
Whether you’re planning for a stadium event, a parade, or a festival, The RATT deploys in minutes and gives your command staff the elevated visibility they need from the start.
