The newest addition to the Oak Harbor Police Department is a heavyweight with thick skin.

The department recently received a $160,000 armored vehicle to replace a “mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle” that had been on loan from the military for years.

The 28,000-pound truck, which dwarfs police cars in the department’s parking lot, is built to withstand .50-caliber bullets and explosions and ram through doors or walls, if necessary.

Chief Tony Slowik said the used 2014 vehicle was built by the Armored Group specifically for civilian law enforcement. It’s known as a BATT, which stands for “ballistic armored tactical transport” and sports a hood ornament that looks like it belongs on a Batmobile.

Slowik and other members of the department were obviously pleased with the amount of thought that went into building the vehicle, including the many gun slits, a turret with a protective hatch, a maneuverable ram, flood lights and even cup holders. It has a lot of space inside to evacuate people from dangerous situations.

“They thought of everything,” the chief said.

Slowik and Detective Greg Wendell, a member of the department’s SWAT team, recently allowed a certain newspaper editor to drive the vehicle around the back roads of the city’s Public Works facility. The humongous vehicle, which is built on a Ford pickup chassis, is surprisingly easy to drive, although it’s apparently a bad idea to take muddy curves without slowing.

Sgt. Jon Bylsma, a member of the SWAT team, said he also noticed how easy the BATT is to maneuver.

“It has a tighter turning radius than my truck,” he said.

Slowik explained that driving the armored vehicle doesn’t require a special license and that all the officers will be trained behind the wheel of the steel giant.

According to the chief, the BATT will be a valuable addition to a regional SWAT team, which includes the Island County Sheriff’s Office, the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office and several police departments in Skagit County. The group trains together to respond to such incidents as active shooters and barricaded subjects across the region.

The police department used the former armored vehicle in what may seem like a surprising amount for a small community. It was one of the vehicles used when the FBI, the police and the sheriff’s department arrested a North Whidbey man suspected of making threats about a pride parade. The vehicle arrived quickly at a fictitious report of a shooting at the high school last year.

Slowik said the BATT was used at the scene of a recent shooting because it was able to light up the scene.

The armored truck is one of new tools the department has acquired in recent years. The police also have a robot and a drone.

The chief made a point of thanking the city council to approve the purchase of the big truck, which was funded through the department’s budget. A couple of council members voiced concerns about the need for the vehicle, but the council voted 4-2 in favor.

The department’s former armored vehicle was returned to the military and is now being used by a different agency to save people from flooded areas.

Oak Harbor police recently purchased a ballistic armored tactical transport. (Photo by Jessie Stensland)