Held from February 3-9, 2025, the 2025 Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale drew more than 500,000 attendees, making it one of the largest sporting events in the country. To help manage the crowds and maintain situational awareness across the expansive venue, the Scottsdale Police Department partnered with the Tempe Police Department, which deployed The RATT (Rapid All-Terrain Tower) to assist with aerial monitoring as part of a coordinated public safety effort.
Tempe PD’s Role: Supporting a Regional Approach to Event Security
As part of a coordinated public safety effort for the 2025 WM Phoenix Open, Tempe PD partnered with Scottsdale PD to provide added support using The RATT. Recognizing the unique challenges of monitoring such a large and active venue, Tempe PD brought The RATT on-site to contribute real-time elevated visibility across key areas identified by Scottsdale’s event operations team.
Rather than replacing any part of Scottsdale PD’s strategy, The RATT was deployed as a supportive resource, helping command staff observe crowd activity and respond proactively to developing situations. With The RATT in place, Tempe PD was able to monitor pedestrian flow at entry and exit points, contribute oversight in high-traffic areas throughout the venue, and share real-time visual information with command staff to support deployment decisions.
“We were there to support Scottsdale PD, and The RATT helped us do that more effectively,” said Detective Dave Gibson of Tempe PD. “It gave our teams the ability to provide live intel to their command center and adjust our position based on where the crowds were building.”
The Deployment: RATT RQ621 at TPC Scottsdale
To support Scottsdale PD’s operations during the 2025 WM Phoenix Open, Tempe PD deployed the RATT RQ621 Single-Sensor Mobile Monitoring Tower, a rapid-deploy mobile monitoring tower equipped with a high-definition PTZ camera and a telescoping mast. The system mounts on a vehicle hitch, tripod, or wall and was brought into the field to provide an elevated view of crowd activity in areas that required additional visibility.
Key technical capabilities in this deployment:
- Up to 33-foot telescoping mast for aerial monitoring coverage
- HD PTZ camera with IR night vision for day and night operation
- Real-time video streaming to any device with internet access
- Weather-resistant build for outdoor event environments
- Quick-deploy design with minimal setup time
Unlike fixed towers or permanent installations, The RATT allowed Tempe PD to adapt quickly alongside crowd movement. Within minutes the unit could be relocated and redeployed to provide updated visual coverage, a critical capability in a fast-moving environment like the Phoenix Open.
“Whether it’s a football game, a community event, or something on the scale of the Phoenix Open, The RATT consistently gives us the elevated visibility we need,” said Detective Gibson. “We’ve used it in a variety of settings, and it’s become such a reliable asset that other departments often ask us about it.”
The Outcome: Real-Time Awareness at Scale
The integration of The RATT into Tempe PD’s support role provided command staff with elevated, real-time visibility of crowd activity across key areas of the venue. The ability to stream video directly to decision-makers helped enhance coordination, allowing teams to respond more confidently and efficiently throughout the event.
Event officials reported 63 arrests and 319 ejections over the course of the week, reflecting an active and visible law enforcement presence across the event. The RATT supported that effort by giving teams the visual context needed to allocate resources based on real-time crowd movement.
Key contributions in this deployment included live video to command staff for informed decision-making, expanded visual coverage of high-traffic and dynamic crowd zones, flexible positioning to match shifting activity throughout the day, and recorded video for post-event debriefing and officer training.
“The RATT helped us see the full picture, especially during peak crowd movement,” said Detective Gibson. “It gave the command center a direct view of what our teams were managing, which helped streamline support without delay.”
Why Mobile Video Monitoring Matters at Large-Scale Events
Tempe PD’s deployment at the 2025 Phoenix Open highlights how agencies can work together using smart technology to manage public safety at massive events. With shifting crowds, high expectations, and interagency coordination requirements, mobile monitoring fills a gap that fixed infrastructure simply cannot. The benefits are straightforward: real-time visibility over crowd hotspots, faster coordination between ground and command staff, adaptability to changing crowd dynamics, elevated deterrence through visible technology presence, and post-event footage for legal review and officer training.
By incorporating The RATT into their support role, Tempe PD helped extend real-time monitoring capabilities to the areas Scottsdale PD identified as priority zones, enhancing event security through a tool that supported the work already being done on the ground.
More From Tempe PD
The Phoenix Open is one of dozens of deployments Tempe PD runs each year. Read how they used The RATT for crowd monitoring at the ASU vs. BYU football game, 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 golf tournament, a marathon, or a festival, The RATT deploys in minutes and gives your command staff the elevated visibility they need from the start.
