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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. The E-Newsletter may also be read online here at our website. Dallas Police Celebrate 40th Anniversary of Helicopter Unit
Police Chief David Kunkle, who joined the department in 1972, said as a young officer, he "couldn't imagine being on the streets without the support of the helicopter. They made our job easier and better." In 2007, the department replaced most of its aging fleet of helicopters with three new helicopters at a cost of about $5.3 million. The unit now has 14 pilots, two sergeants, a lieutenant and three mechanics. Source: www.dallasnews.com Mississippi Agency Increases Efficiency
The Aviation Unit had three surplus helicopters. It sold one for $244,000 and two others last year for $290,000. That money went toward covering the helicopter's $350,000 price tag and adding mission equipment. According to Manning, the new helicopter cost taxpayers nothing while setting the aviation unit up to be more efficient. The Aviation Unit, which began 26 years ago, averages 30 calls throughout northwest Mississippi per month and conducts local routine air patrols, drug eradication, and search and rescue missions. Source: www.desototimes.com Columbus Opens New Aviation Facility
The Columbus Division of Police Helicopter Unit has been operational since 1972 and has amassed over 185,000 flight hours. The base mission is direct patrol air support covering a time period of 16 hours per day 7 days a week, or roughly 5,000 flight hours per year. The Helicopter Unit is led by Lieutenant Michael Elkins and has 21 officers assigned to it. Source: Columbus Division of Police Police Chief Approves of Helicopter for Winnipeg
With the overwhelming support now behind the project, it's almost a certainty Winnipeg will join at least five other jurisdictions in Canada that use police helicopters to patrol their streets. McCaskill praised the wide-ranging benefits of a police chopper, saying it not only helps police manage car chases in a far safer manner, it acts as a "force multiplier" because officers in the air can direct cops on the ground at crime scenes. Source: www.winnipegsun.com Korea National Police Agency Orders Aircraft
AgustaWestland believes that this latest addition to the KNPA fleet of law enforcement helicopters will represent a step up in capability for the Korean law enforcement service in the country. To support the role, the helicopter will be equipped with a powerful searchlight and cargo hook for utility operations. Source: AgustaWestland Engine Overhaul Expense Won't Ground Helicopter
Source: www.wacotrib.com Marijuana Eradication Efforts Help Fund Aviation Unit
Though planters do their best to disguise the plants, pulling out corn plants from rows and replacing them with the five-leaf stalk, Bailey said they're fairly easy to spot from the air. "It's a different color than other plants, kind of a bluish green. Like blue spruce pines," he said. When corn stalks are pulled, "it leaves a telltale sign" he explained. Plot numbers have dropped to 50 and 100 plants at a time and growers have moved their crops inside. "They've gotten more creative," Bailey said. Examples he has seen include planting along hedge and fence rows, in gardens among tomato plants, and disguising the marijuana further by hanging red Christmas bulbs on them. He has even seen them planted in flowerpots and set in trees. In the years the Marion County Sheriff's Office has contracted with the State of Ohio for eradication efforts, the program has brought in $35,000 to $50,000 annually, which helps fund the insurance, fuel and maintenance needed for the aviation unit's two helicopters throughout the year. Source: www.marionstar.com CAA Reports Surge of Laser Activity in UK
Thames Valley Police Department said that it was working in partnership with other regional police forces, the CAA and other government departments to track down the perpetrators of the attacks. Thames Valley Police Operational Support Sgt Watson said in a news report, "I'd like to issue a warning to all would-be laser users -- we have the technology and tactics to catch people who do this. If you are found with a laser device, you can even be arrested for simply carrying it if the questioning officer is not satisfied with your reasons for having one." Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk Grant Allows Police Department to Deploy Powered Parachute
The aircraft can take off in less than 100 feet and weighs just over 400 pounds. It can carry two officers and fly at 35 mph in calm weather, and at about 13 mph with head wind. It has a 10-gallon capacity gas tank. The powered parachute is stored in a trailer and can be deployed in 15 minutes once it arrives on scene. The Ripon Police Department plans to acquire a public address system and camera so dispatchers can see what is being seen from the air. Source: www.riponpd.org LVMPD Makes Successful Emergency Landing
Source: www.lvrj.com SC Agencies Train in Waterborne Tactics
Participants practiced jumping from a moving helicopter into Lake Murray, a tactic that could be useful in emergency situations. Lexington Sheriff James R. Metts said, "It's extremely important that you practice like we are today and do it often, in case there's a situation where we would need to be deployed into the water." Source: www.thestate.com UAV Law & Technology Symposium The John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, University of North Dakota, will be hosting the 2009 UAV Law & Technology Symposium on October 8-9, 2009. Entitled “Complying & Flying: Legal and Technical Issues Related to Operating UAVs in Law Enforcement”, there will be unmanned aircraft system demonstrations, leading industry expert speakers and panel discussions held. You can download the conference brochure or register at www.uasresearch.org. Be sure to read more about UAV development in the September-October technology issue of APSA's Air Beat magazine! London Is Site of First PAvCon Conference
APSA CFO (past president) Dan Schwarzbach will give the keynote address, followed by the opening address from former APSA Board member Glenn Daley (NYPD retired). Frequent APSA instructor and Air Beat contributor Ken Solosky is also on the agenda. After the PAvCon event, attendees will have a chance to visit the London Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit helicopter base for a ‘hands on' briefing on the operation. Source: Police Aviation News Safety Seminar Scheduled in Edmonton, Canada! The 2009 Canadian Region Safety Seminar will take place on October 27-29, 2009 and be hosted by the Edmonton Police Service Flight Operations Unit. You may book your rooms now at the host hotel, the Edmonton Marriott at River Cree Resort. To view the educational lineup or for more detailed information, please visit the APSA website at http://archives.alea.org/public/seminars/canadian/index.aspx. |
The Dallas (TX) Police Department Helicopter Unit celebrated its 40th anniversary last month. Approximately 150 people attended the event, including many current and former members of the unit, as well as former Police Chief Frank Dyson, who founded the unit shortly before becoming the city's top cop. "I felt like the police department was ready for that kind of service," said Dyson. "It just had so much potential to enhance police operations." The skeptics, he said, thought starting an aviation unit would be too costly and dangerous. "Thankfully, the believers prevailed," he said.
Within the past month, the DeSoto County (MS) Sheriff's Department Aviation Unit has grown from one to two paid pilots, and several more on a volunteer basis. Commander Trey Manning said the 2003 R-44 Robinson helicopter delivered last month would not only be a money-saver in the long run, but also increase the unit's law enforcement capabilities. The aircraft has an infrared camera, sirens, a PA system, GPS unit, and other tools.
The Columbus (OH) Division of Police will open its new police heliport on September 18, 2009. The new heliport is 29,906 square feet situated on 11 acres. It will house the division's fleet of six MD500E turbine aircraft. The new facility is designed in a two-hangar configuration separated by connected administrative offices. A training classroom, aviation library, flight operations center, executive conference room, supervisory offices and fitness center compose the administrative part of the facility.
Winnipeg, Canada's Police Chief Keith McCaskill said last month that cops will get a helicopter to help them fight crime in the city. McCaskill, who did a fly-along with the Edmonton Police Service's helicopter crew recently, said that the Winnipeg Police Service has done extensive research on the proposed chopper and he's convinced it's a tool police must have. McCaskill says the city and the province have to work out funding arrangements for the chopper, which could cost around $2.5 million.
The Korea National Police Agency (KNPA) signed an agreement last month to purchase one AW119Ke law enforcement helicopter as part of an on-going program to modernize the police helicopter fleet. This is the first AW119Ke to be purchased by the Korean government, and the third law enforcement helicopter sold into the Korean market. It will join two KNPA AW109 helicopters that have been in service for a number of years.
McLennan County (TX) Sheriff's Office received a 1971 Bell OH-58 military surplus helicopter for free in 1995. Federal guidelines require that its engine be overhauled after 1,700 hours of flight, a procedure that will cost $85,000. The sheriff's office and county commissioners came to an agreement last month to spend the needed $85,000 for a heavy maintenance inspection with monies saved from this year's fuel budget.
The Marion County (OH) Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit, assisted by Marion Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Unit (MARMET) detectives, removed hundreds of marijuana plants from a cornfield last month. Sheriff Tim Bailey, who is a pilot, had taken a county engineer employee up in the surplus helicopter for surveying. Bailey said that's when he spotted the plants along the Marion-Crawford county line. "They were west of where we spotted others last week," he said. "I would suspect that those were planted by the same person or group of people."
In 2007, there were 29 incidents of laser attacks on aircraft in the United Kingdom, but this rose to 206 cases in 2008, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) reported last month. Captain Robert Jones, head of flight operations at the CAA, said, "These things are not toys, they pose a serious risk to all flight safety." Police said the sale of industrial lasers has been restricted in the UK, but many have been available to buy on the Internet.
The Ripon (CA) Police Department recently received a U. S. Department of Justice grant, and last month, acquired a powered parachute and training from the Rural Law Enforcement Technology Center. This is not a new technology, but a new use by law enforcement (six others in the United States are used for this purpose). The powered parachute will be an aerial platform to help in searches and drug eradication. Officers will be able to see an entire neighborhood rather than just one street.
Last month, two crewmembers of the Las Vegas (NV) Metropolitan Police Department made a successful emergency landing after the MD 530's engine failed during a routine patrol. Lt. Joe Ojeda, commander of the police department's air support section for search and rescue operations, said the pilot and the observer saw an engine failure light come on, which meant they had 13 seconds to safely land the helicopter. “They did an autorotation to the ground, an emergency landing, and it landed here on the street. You have to be very good and very lucky to avoid colliding with vehicles on the road.” Mechanics arrived to fix the problem and the helicopter lifted off again without incident.
Members of the Lexington County (SC) Sheriff's Department, Lexington Police Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office participated in a joint waterborne training operation last month.
The inaugural 2009 PAvCon Police Aviation Conference will take place in London, England on September 16-17, 2009. Presentations will be given on high-rise and multi-agency rescues, acquisitions, policing of major events (including the 2012 Olympics), operating unmanned aircraft for law enforcement, and providing airborne emergency services. Full details of the venue and how to register can be found at 
