The challenges faced by patrol officers are indeed daunting. Responding to 911 calls, enforcing traffic regulations and completing all the administrative tasks for the "front office" can certainly drain and tax patrol resources. Specialized and support units, used properly, can significantly reduce the workload for the patrol officer and help them complete their missions more effectively and professionally. Aviation assets can give the patrol officer a tremendous and significant advantage, if the resources are used properly.
Working with Police Aviation Units
The assignments that can be completed by an aircraft are indeed limitless. The obvious use is for vehicle pursuits, suspect searches and missing person searches. Not so obvious are using the aircraft for a support role such as taking aerial photographs to assist in an upcoming trial or to be used at a tactical briefing for an upcoming raid. When using an aviation resource and providing direction to a location, use points of the compass and describe distance in terms of hundreds of feet. For example, "we need you two blocks north and 100 feet west of the corner of Main and Elm" is much more effective then "We are right in front of 324 Elm." A ground unit should also realize that there could be numerous units on a particular scene with their roof lights on or there could be several clusters of vehicles spaced a few blocks apart, all visible to the airborne crew. "We are right near all the cars with the lights on" is often not very informative.
Vehicle pursuits
Unfortunately, vehicle accidents are the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths for police officers and the trend appears to be increasing. Certainly, vehicle pursuits have to be considered as "high risk." Using a helicopter can reduce these risks and allow for apprehension. When a helicopter is being used, allow the aircrew to "call" the pursuit, and they will simply provide streets and direction. Ground units can loosely and safely follow. Eventually, the suspects in the pursuing vehicle will:
- Realize their attempt to flee is futile and will pull over and surrender (yes, it happens more than you think!)
- They will crash and flee on foot, or
- They will pull over and attempt to flee on foot.
In any case, if the ground units and aviation units are working in a coordinated manner, the suspects will be apprehended safely, with minimum risk to police officers and the public. Don't ask an airborne unit to "clear" intersections during a pursuit. There are simply too many hazards and dangers that the aircrew cannot see, and a ground unit might have a false sense of security, thinking an intersection is clear and suddenly a pedestrian darts into traffic.
Suspect Searches
When using a helicopter to assist in a search, the flight crew is likely to use both the Night Sun spotlight and the forward looking infra-red (FLIR). The Night Sun will illuminate the area to be searched, allowing both ground units and the aircrew to search the area. Very likely, if equipped, the aircrew will use the FLIR, which detects heat. The FLIR search is invisible and both ground units and the suspects do not realize the area is being searched. A trick that is sometimes used by aircrews is to shine the Night Sun on an adjoining block in an attempt to flush out the suspect from their hiding spot. The suspect, thinking that the police are searching the wrong block, will attempt to run, and they will quickly be apprehended because the aircrew was really searching the correct block with the FLIR. Keep in mind the FLIR can detect heat but cannot see through any objects. Just because an airborne unit declares a particular area "clear of any heat signatures" it does not mean the suspect is not there. They may be well hidden in a shed, under thick brush etc. All officers should still proceed with the utmost caution.
The most glaring weakness seen by police pilots in a suspect search is an unsecured perimeter. Although ground units believe they have all points covered, it is remarkable how a suspect finds the one area that is missed and escapes through that area. Be proactive; ask the airborne unit how the perimeter looks! Do they see any gaps that need to be covered? Working together can quickly lock down an area and result in an apprehension.
Just as with suspects, the airborne unit can also be used to search for a missing person. The best use is in large wooded areas, fields, parks etc. It is very frustrating for an airborne flight crew to be given an assignment for a "missing child" only to learn that the child has been missing for three days and is a chronic runaway! There is no way to perform an effective search; it usually means a ground commander is covering their bases and it is a waste of a valuable resource. In the same light, there have been instances in which a ground commander orders an airborne unit to canvass an area for a burglary suspect. No suspects were seen, nor is there any meaningful description. They just want the airborne crew to "take a look."
Support Roles for Airborne Units
The assistance provided by the aviation unit does not have to be in an emergency situation. The New York County District Attorney's Office used the NYPD Aviation Unit in a very unique manner. The DA had a case in which the accused, who happened to be a private pilot, was charged with murdering his wife and dumping her body from a small private airplane into the Atlantic Ocean. Of course, the defense maintained that such a thing was logistically impossible. How could a person pilot a plane and at the same time dump a body from the airplane? Well, the entire scenario was re-enacted by pilots from the Aviation Unit and was filmed from an NYPD helicopter. The police pilot was able to fly the airplane and toss a mannequin, the same weight as the victim, and return safely to the airport. Very convincing and indisputable. Defendant convicted.
The digital camera has allowed various units to use the airborne platform to take photographs to be used for planning purposes, such as disaster response etc. and also take photos of locations to be used by the SWAT team at a tactical briefing just prior to a raid. It gives the ground officer a unique perspective and allows them to see any obstacles or hazards such as dogs.
Make your Day Easier
If you think an aviation unit could help make the job easier or could assist in doing the assignment more effectively, give the aviation unit a call. Most police pilots share both the passion of police work and the passion of flying and truly want to help. On a recent vehicle pursuit in Newark, NJ, two carjack suspects tried to flee from a helicopter for over 20 minutes. Ground units loosely and safely followed while the helicopter maintained continuous surveillance. Finally giving in to frustration, the suspects parked the car, stepped out and raised their hands to the helicopter. Ground units quickly converged and happily ended their carjacking day!
