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APSA's E-Newsletter is designed to help keep you informed on the very latest information in the airborne law enforcement industry. Two-year-old Found By Texas Helicopter Crew
The Llano Police Department called in the Texas Department of Public Safety Aviation Unit and several other police agencies. They began a massive hunt for the boy with bloodhounds, horses, helicopters, police units, huge spotlights and thermal tracking technology. The next morning, the DPS helicopter crew (Pilot Sgt. Nick Granelli and TFO Trooper Ben Muller) located the toddler, who had apparently climbed onto one of the granite rocks to stay warm during the night. It was an instinct that might have kept him alive. "It brought tears to my eyes when they said that they had found him," said Llano County Sheriff's Chief Deputy John Neff. "It was one of the best experiences I've felt in a long time," he said. Source: www.wwlp.com Man Arrested After Attempt to Pull Officer from Helicopter
As the CHP helicopter landed, the two helicopter officers noticed someone had opened the pilot's side door. Then someone reached in and tried to grab the pilot and pull him out. The pilot's partner jumped out, ran around the back of the helicopter and confronted the man who was trying to pull the pilot out. A tussle ensued. The pilot jumped out of the helicopter and the two officers were able to take the man into custody. "The man was screaming 'Just shoot me,' " reports stated. The man was believed to be under the influence of narcotics. He was jailed on charges of misdemeanor trespassing of the airport, being under the influence and resisting arrest. Source: www.ocregister.com County Received Grant Funding for Acquisition
Currently, JCSO operates two OH-58s and one Bell 407 helicopter as well as an MU-2 turbine prop fixed-wing aircraft for extraditions. The aviation mission is designed to achieve the law enforcement goals of the entire county as they relate to officer safety, enhanced drug enforcement, homeland security to include port security, critical infrastructure as well as waterways, extraditions, community awareness and providing emergency airborne response to crisis situations. “This is a county-wide asset for all area law enforcement agencies, and having the helicopter in the air gives a sense of security to the officers and the community," said Jefferson County Sheriff Mitch Woods last month. Source: JCSO Officers Distracted By Multiple Laser Beams Deputies arrested a 20-year-old man last month on suspicion of aiming a laser pointer toward an Orange County (CA) Sheriff's Department helicopter patrolling the area. Although a laser beam distracted the pilot, the helicopter remained in the area and was targeted by the same beam of light three times before the pilot was able to track the origin of the beam to an apartment complex. The pilot led a deputy to the apartment building and found the suspect who admitted to pointing a laser at the helicopter. He was taken into custody and was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail. Pilots in Orange County who have experienced a laser pointer aimed at their aircraft have reported becoming dizzy and distracted because of the light. In December 2007, three people were arrested on suspicion of pointing lasers at aircraft in Orange County, including a 15-year-old who officers alleged pointed a laser he received as a Christmas present toward a commercial airplane. In May 2008, a 36-year-old Orange man, who was on parole after serving time for weapon and drug charges, was arrested on suspicion of pointing a beam at a police helicopter. When contacted by officers, he said he pointed the beam because he was bored. Source: www.ocregister.com Busy Month for UK Police Helicopter
Insp. Andy Moore from the Air Support Unit said, "It has been a busy month for the helicopter with it being tasked to a variety of different jobs. We also held the first ever helicopter PACT (Partners and Communities Together) meeting in the country which was a huge success. The force helicopter plays a huge role in policing the county and protecting the people of Lancashire. The capabilities of the aircraft means we can be anywhere in Lancashire within 14 minutes, meaning we can provide a rapid response to incidents." Source: www.burnleyexpress.net New Hangar Boosts State Police Presence
The Air Wing has three air bases located throughout the state, including Chicopee, Lawrence and Plymouth. Combined, the 21 staff members from the three bases conduct more than 2,000 missions annually. Crews assist state and local agencies with search and rescue missions, conduct surveillance, assess scenes and provide aerial photography. Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette called the Air Wing's job a "distinct and supportive mission in law enforcement. It makes a huge difference to have these birds to help out in search and rescue," Bissonnette said. "As part of law enforcement, as part of emergency response, the value can not be overestimated." Source: www.masslive.com Nominations Wanted for Police Aviation Excellence Awards
A panel of judges will review narrative submissions endorsed by the agency head. The awards will be presented at the IACP Annual Conference. Copies of articles and photographs may accompany the narrative submission, but no audio or videotapes will be considered. Deadline for 2008 submissions is May 31, 2009. Contact Al Arena at (800) 843-4227 x836 or emailarena@theiacp.org for additional information. Source: www.theiacp.org Fort Worth Police Eye New Heliport; Bigger Helicopters
The city's population has grown by about 280,000 residents since the existing heliport, which has a sinking foundation, was built in 1973. A new heliport is expected to cost about $2.8 million. The airport will spend about $2.5 million in natural gas revenues to pay for most of the construction. The police department will then lease the facility from the airport. Source: www.star-telegram.com Police Departments Consider Partnership
“In 2007, the police chiefs of all three cities met to discuss the program, and Pasadena said they were somewhat interested but wanted to see how it worked out between us and Glendale," Burbank Police Chief Tim Stehr said. “With the economic conditions we're seeing now, Pasadena contacted us, said they were interested, and we agreed to start a trial program last November to see if it was feasible." Since the cities border each other, the two-city partnership has been effective in cutting flight time and fuel. “It might slightly affect response time, but it's a more efficient use of resources, which is better for police services in the long run," Stehr said. “Our department saw immediate savings after selling one of our helicopters, and the two departments now have three helicopters total. We're looking at consolidating resources wherever it makes sense." Source: www.burbankleader.com Community Donates to Operation of Aviation Unit The Coffee County (GA) Sheriff's Office recently received a military surplus helicopter that will launch the department's aviation program. Coffee County Sheriff Dave Sutton thanked the City Commission last month for creating a line item in the budget to handle the funds that the department is currently taking in for the helicopter. “To date, we have received somewhere around $26,000 in donations from local agencies here in Coffee County to help us fund and get this aircraft up flying," said Sutton. The helicopter will aid in search and rescue missions as well as assistance in drug interdiction. The helicopter is currently undergoing repairs and modifications to convert it from military to law enforcement usage. Source: www.zwire.com Maintenance Bills Could Ground CSPD Helicopter
The CSPD Air Unit responded to more than 1,600 calls in 2008, helping end pursuits, arriving first on the scene and adding extra eyes for ground units. "You have an air unit that says, ‘100 yards to your left, you have a suspect hiding behind the bush,'" Sgt. Steven Noblitt explains, "and that's information you wouldn't otherwise have." At the beginning of February, the department found out their second chopper is in need of about $30,000 worth of work. And it's bad timing for repairs as the department prepares for cuts of 1 to 5 percent. "What we've tried to do is prioritize the less essential to the most essential," says Meyers, "so depending on where the axe falls, one-percent, three-percent or five-percent, we're first eliminating the less essential services." Any change to the air unit depends on where those budget cuts fall. Source: www.krdo.com Serbian Police Conduct Mock Drill
Congratulating members of the police on their successful drill, Serbian President Boris Tadic said that the drill showed that the state and its police were ready to meet all the security and terrorism challenges. "This proves that our state is not only capable of establishing order and peace in its own territory, but can also be a factor of stability in the region," said Tadic. Ivica Dacic, Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, said that the successfully performed maneuver has shown that Serbia has a highly professional and well trained police force and that the police are capable of dealing with any security risk. Source: www.xinhuanet.com City Wants to Upgrade Helicopters
The helicopters are part of the city's five-year police and fire fleet replacement plan, City Budget Director Craig Freeman said. "The replacement fund pays for ... maintenance, refurbishments and replacements of helicopters," Freeman said. "About $6 million is needed over the five years of the plan." Source: www.newsok.com Kern County Sherriff's Air Unit Ready for Operational SAR Missions
Priority 1 Air Rescue provided the complete mission package needed to get Kern County operational, which included FAA-approved Advanced Mission Hoist Rescue SAR training, SAR mission equipment, HUEY II SAR aircraft configuration, Goodrich rescue hoist maintenance inspection training, rescue hoisting SOPs, SAR scenario flight exercises and virtual web training. This, coupled with Priority 1 Air Rescue's highly experienced SAR instructors and impressive resume of past rescue hoist trained customers on similar helicopter rescue programs, solidified the selection. Source: Priority 1 Air Rescue Canadian Tactical Flight Officers Course Next Month
The Canadian Tactical Flight Officers Course is designed to provide aircrew members the tactical skills and information necessary to safely and successfully support ground units engaged in a variety of law enforcement missions. Although specifically designed for tactical flight officers, this course is applicable to pilots and crewmembers alike and is also a valuable course for unit supervisors. Attendees will learn the elements of crew coordination, gain knowledge on how to set up a perimeter, direct the activities of ground units from the air, manage a vehicle pursuit and conduct a thermal imagery search using the latest in airborne tactics. Additionally, attendees will learn what specialized equipment is available and how to properly use the most common tools. This class is essential to the professional development of aviation law enforcement personnel. Maximum enrollment is 60. You will find the educational agenda at www.alea.org/public/seminars/TFOcourse.aspx as well as registration information. Chicago Police Hosts APSA Regional Safety Seminar You've got a few more days to make plans to attend the 2009 Eastern Region Safety Seminar to be held on March 25-27. The educational agenda includes water survival training, aviation risk management, prosecuting laser assaults, marketing your aviation unit, inadvertent IMC, and much more. For complete details, please visit our events calendar (www.alea.org/public/seminars/eastern/index.aspx). You can also register on this page. For additional information, please contact Eastern Region Director Kurt Frisz at (314) 575-4344 or via e-mail at kfrisz@PublicSafetyAviation.org. In last month's edition of E-news, it was reported that the Chicago Police Department had acquired a new Bell 206. This entry was mistakenly picked up from the February 2007 edition. We apologize for the published error. APSA Accepting Submissions for Awards & Scholarships
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A young boy was found face down on a rock when a helicopter crew spotted him at daybreak after 15 hours and 150 volunteers searching for him. The child had wandered away from a friend's ranch in a rural wilderness area in the Texas hill country, west of Austin.
A 19-year-old man was arrested last month on suspicion of approaching a California Highway Patrol (CHP) helicopter and trying to pull out the pilot when he landed at Fullerton Municipal Airport, police said.
The Jefferson County (TX) Sheriff's Office (JSCO) recently received U.S. Homeland Security grant funding to purchase a new Bell 407 helicopter. The helicopter will work closely with the U.S. Coast Guard as well as JSCO's new Marine Unit to make the waterways and critical infrastructure safer and more secure. The total cost of the new helicopter and equipment is approximately $2 million.
The Lancashire (UK) Constabulary's force helicopter, Oscar November 99, was tasked to 148 jobs across the county during the month of January, taking part in searches for 42 people or vehicles. The aircraft also took part in routine operations such as Night Watchman and Caretaker. Night Watchman is where the helicopter flies over industrial premises while returning to its base, with the aircrew looking for suspicious activity and checking premises. Operation Caretaker is similar although the focus is on Lancashire's schools.
The Massachusetts State Police Air Wing celebrated the opening of its new and larger hangar at Westover Metropolitan Airport last month. The $1.25 million hangar is 9,700 square feet and includes offices, meeting rooms and enough space for two specially equipped helicopters. That's compared to the previous 2,000-square-foot hangar the Air Wing used to occupy across the runway. "This is a great facility," Col. Mark F. Delaney, State Police Commander, said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony inside the new building. "This facility will allow the MSP Air Wing to continue its commitment to the region for years and years to come."
The International Association Chiefs of Police (IACP) Aviation Committee and Bell Helicopter Textron present two awards annually. One award is to recognize an individual who holds a management or leadership position in police aviation, and a second award to an aviation unit that exemplifies excellence in airborne law enforcement. These two awards will emphasize initiatives to enhance the general level and safety of operations, accident prevention programs, and the efficiency and effectiveness of airborne law enforcement.
In an effort to keep pace with city's growth, the Fort Worth (TX) Police Department is looking to expand its air support program with a new heliport and faster helicopters. Police are looking at a site near Meacham Airport where they could build a heliport that would accommodate the helicopters that are too large for the current facility.
The Burbank and Glendale Police Departments are considering forming a three-city police helicopter program with Pasadena to help deal with a tightening budget. “We currently have a trial program going on, collecting data about response times and number of calls within the geographic area of responsibility, and the impressions are positive," Lt. Carl Povilaitis said. “If we find the helicopters can physically cover a three-city area and provide consistent service, it might be possible to cut budgets while meeting the same expectations. We'll be at the evaluation stage in about 60 to 90 days."
Since the start of 2009, one of the Colorado Springs (CO) Police Department's helicopters has been getting scheduled maintenance. The budget for the service was $50,000. The bill came back at $95,000. "That's money we don't have budgeted," says Colorado Springs Police Chief Richard Meyers, "so we're struggling to figure out whether this is the unceremonious end to the program."
Special police of the Serbian Interior Ministry last month staged a joint anti-terrorist drill on Mt. Goc in central Serbia to demonstrate their resolve and capability against terrorist acts and organized crimes. 244 officers from the elite Gendarmerie, the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit, the Counter-Terrorist Unit and the Helicopter Unit, conducted the drill, which was dubbed Rasina 2009 and simulated a battle against an infiltrating terrorist group.
The Oklahoma City (OK) Police Department is almost ready to trade in its two helicopters for new versions, at a cost of about $1.9 million apiece. The city plans to replace one of the helicopters in 2011 and another in 2012. By then, both of the MD 500E helicopters will be more than a decade old.
Kern County (CA) Sherriff's Office Air Support Unit recently took delivery of their Bell HUEY II helicopter and assumed ‘SAR ready' operational status after successfully completing helicopter hoist rescue training from Priority 1 Air Rescue based out of Mesa, AZ.
Presented by APSA, the Calgary Police Department Air Support Unit will host the Canadian Tactical Flight Officers Course on April 27-29, 2009 in Calgary, Canada.
APSA is now accepting nominations for its 
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