Police aviation is the use of aircraft in police operations. Police services commonly use aircraft for traffic control, ground support, search and rescue, high-speed car pursuits, observation, air patrol and control of large-scale public events and/or public order incidents. They may employ Rotorcraft, fixed-wing aircraft, Parafoil aircraft or Aerostat. In some major cities, police rotary-wing aircraft are also used as air transportation for personnel belonging to police tactical units. In large, sparsely populated areas, fixed-wing aircraft are sometimes used to transport personnel and equipment.
History
The first police aviation department was established in New York City.
Fixed-wing aircraft have generally been replaced by more versatile rotary-wing aircraft since the late 1940s. However, fixed-wing aircraft are still used in some missions, such as
border guard, as their higher speed and greater operating altitude allow larger areas to be covered.
In 1921, the British airship R33 was used to help the police with traffic control around horse racing events at Epsom and Ascot racecourse.
A large mural on the side of St. George's Town Hall in the East End of London depicting the 1936 Battle of Cable Street public order incident includes the police autogyro,
The first police aviation unit in China, the Wuhan Municipal Public Security Bureau Aviation Squad
Rotary-wing aircraft
The most common form of police rotary-wing aircraft is the
helicopter, but other types of rotary-wing aircraft such as
are also used.
The Groen Hawk 4 autogyro was used during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Police rotary-wing aircraft are sometimes equipped to perform multiple functions, or are designed so that equipment can be changed quickly when required for divergent roles. For example, a rotary-wing aircraft could be used for search-and-rescue, and then as an air ambulance.
Police forces sometimes use military surplus rotary-wing aircraft, such as the Bell UH-1 Huey.
The use of police helicopters by the Los Angeles Police Department has been criticized for causing excessive noise and pollution and harming the well-being of community members.
Fixed-wing and nonrigid-wing aircraft
Some police air units also use fixed-wing aircraft, which allow higher and quieter surveillance,
making it less likely that suspects will become aware they are being watched. A few police air units, such as the Northern Territory Police in Australia, use only fixed-wing aircraft.
The use of fixed-wing aircraft also allows for longer flying times and incurs lower running costs.
Fixed-wing aircraft are also used to transport prisoners,
with the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (nicknamed "
Con Air")
perhaps being the largest example of this use. Fixed-wing aircraft are also used to provide regular police patrols in remote communities and to transport investigators to remote crime scenes.
Light-sport aircraft
and powered parachutes
can sometimes be used to provide a cost-effective replacement for helicopters in the observation platform role. on a "JPATS" flight used to transport prisoners]]The
Edgley Optica was a British fixed-wing aircraft built for observation use and was used by the Hampshire Constabulary
as an alternative to rotary-wing aircraft.
The Britten-Norman Defender is used by the Greater Manchester Police,
the Police Service of Northern Ireland
and the Garda Síochána.
The
FBI deployed a Britten-Norman Defender for electronic aerial surveillance at the
Branch Davidian compound during the
Waco siege in 1993.
[ FBI brings out secret electronics weapons as Waco siege drags on, by James Adams. The Sunday Times, p. 23, 21 March 1993] In
Greater London, the Metropolitan Police Service has, for a number of years, reportedly been secretly using
Cessna aircraft that have been fitted with surveillance equipment capable of intercepting mobile telephone calls and listening in on conversations.
Lighter-than-air aircraft
Police
were used to patrol the sky during the 2004 Republican National Convention,
the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
The blimp
Santos-Dumont, named for Alberto Santos-Dumont, operates in the Caribbean for the Special Anti-Crime Unit of Trinidad & Tobago (SAUTT), providing security surveillance. During April 2009, this blimp provided aerial surveillance of the 5th Summit of the Americas in
Port-of-Spain.
Greater Manchester Police began trial operations of a blimp in 2010 to provide surveillance for major events, which would be a cheaper alternative to the use of a helicopter in the long term. However, the blimp was only used on 18 occasions because of weather-related operational problems.
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Police in some areas have started using unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, for surveillance operations.
Unmanned aerial vehicles come in both fixed-wing and rotary-wing types.
List of police aviation units
Active units
Australia
-
New South Wales Police Force Aviation Command
-
Queensland Police Service
-
South Australia Police
-
Victoria Police Air Wing
-
Western Australia Police Air Wing
- Austria
-
Air Police ( Flugpolizei) of the Directorate General for Public Security
- Canada
-
Calgary Police Service - HAWCS
-
Durham Regional Police Service - Air Support Unit
-
Edmonton Police Service - Flight Operations
-
Ontario Provincial Police - Joint Air Support Unit
-
Regina Police Service - Aerial Support Unit
-
Royal Canadian Mounted Police - Air Services branch
-
Saskatoon Police Service - Air Support Unit
-
Quebec Provincial Police - Air Operations
-
Winnipeg Police Service - Flight Operations Unit
-
York Regional Police - Air Support Unit
- China
-
Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau Police Aviation Unit
-
Wuhan Municipal Public Security Bureau Aviation Squad
-
Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department Police Aviation Unit
-
Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau
-
1st Mobile Corps Helicopter Detachment
-
2nd Mobile Corps Helicopter Detachment
- Hong Kong
-
Hong Kong Government Flying Service
- Cyprus
-
Cyprus Police Aviation Unit
- France
-
National Gendarmerie Forces aériennes de la Gendarmerie
- Germany
-
Federal Police - Bundespolizei-Flugdienst (BPOLFLD)
-
Baden-Württemberg State Police - Polizeihubschrauberstaffel
-
Bavarian State Police - Polizeihubschrauberstaffel
-
Berlin Police - Polizeihubschrauberstaffel
-
Brandenburg State Police - Polizeihubschrauberstaffel
-
Hamburg Police - Polizeihubschrauberstaffel
-
Hesse State Police - Polizeifliegerstaffel
-
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Water police, the Wasserschutzpolizei - Polizeihubschrauberstaffel
-
North Rhine-Westphalia State Police - Polizeifliegerstaffel
-
Rhineland-Palatinate State Police - Polizeihubschrauberstaffel
- Indonesia
-
Indonesian National Police Marine and Air Corps - Air Police Directorate
- Iran
- Ireland
- Japan
-
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Aviation Unit
- Malaysia
-
Royal Malaysian Police Air Wing Unit
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- North Macedonia
-
Macedonian police helicopter unit
- Oman
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Royal Oman Police - Police Aviation Directorate
- Panama
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National Aeronaval Service
- Philippines
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Philippine National Police Air Unit
- Romania
-
General Inspectorate of Aviation
- Saudi Arabia
-
General Directorate of Public Security Aviation Command
- Serbia
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Police of Serbia Helicopter Unit
- South Africa
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South African Police Service Air Wing
- South Korea
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National Police Agency Aviation Division
- Taiwan
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National Airborne Service Corps
- Uganda
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Uganda Police Force Air Wing
- United Kingdom
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National Police Air Service
-
Police Scotland
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Police Service of Northern Ireland Air Support Unit
- United States of America
Many local, state, and federal US law enforcement agencies operate helicopters, and some operate fixed-wing aircraft.
- Federal agencies
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Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System Air Operations Division
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State Department Air Wing
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United States Fish and Wildlife Service Branch of Aviation Management
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United States Park Police Aviation Unit
- Alabama
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Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Aviation Unit
-
Dale County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit: 2 Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopters, 1 MD 600N helicopter, and 1 Cessna Skylane 182RG fixed-wing aircraft
-
Etowah County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit: 1 Bell OH-58C helicopter
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Oxford Police Department's Aviation Support Unit: 1 MD Helicopters MD 500
-
Shelby County Sheriff's Office Air Support Unit: 1 Bell TH-67 Creek helicopter, 1 Bell 206 JetRanger helicopter, and 1 OH-58 Kiowa helicopter
-
Tuscaloosa Police Department Air Patrol Division: 4 Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopters
- Alaska
| +
!Agency
!Unit
!Rotary Assets
!Fixed-Wing Assets |
| Alaska Department of Public Safety | Aircraft Section | Eurocopter AS350 Squirrel
Robinson R44 | Cessna 185 Skywagon
Cessna 208 Caravan
Piper PA-18 Super Cub
Beechcraft Super King Air |
- Arizona
| +
!Agency
!Unit
!Rotary Assets
!Fixed-Wing Assets |
| Arizona Department of Public Safety | Aviation Bureau | 3 Bell 429 GlobalRanger
2 Bell 407 | 2 King Air |
| Mesa Police Department | Air Support Unit | 3 MD Helicopters MD 500 | 1 Cessna 172 Skyhawk
1 Cessna 210 Centurion |
| Peoria Police Department | Aviation Unit | 1 Bell 505 | |
| Phoenix Police Department | Air Support Unit | 1 Agusta A109E
5 Eurocopter AS350B3 Ecureuil | 1 Cessna 172 Skyhawk
1 Cessna 182 Skylane
1 Cessna 210 Centurion
1 Pilatus PC-12NG |
- Arkansas
-
Arkansas State Police Air Support Unit: 1 Bell 407, 1 Cessna 206, and 1 Beechcraft B200 King Air
-
Baxter County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit: 1 Bell OH-58
-
Benton County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit: 2 Bell OH-58A helicopters
-
Little Rock Police Department Aviation Unit
-
Mississippi County Aviation Unit: 2 Bell OH-58A helicopters
- California
-
California Highway Patrol Office of Air Operations
-
LAPD Air Support Division
-
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Aero Bureau
- Colorado
-
Denver Police Department Air Support Unit
- Connecticut
-
New Milford Police Aviation Unit
- Delaware
-
Delaware State Police Aviation Section
- District of Columbia
-
Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit
- Florida
-
Marion County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit - at least four helicopters
- Georgia
-
Atlanta Police Department Helicopter Unit: 3 MD530F helicopters
-
Clayton County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit
-
Dekalb County Ariel Support Unit: 2 Eurocopter AS-350 helicopters
-
Georgia Department of Natural Resources Aviation Unit: 3 Bell 407 helicopters
-
Georgia State Patrol Aviation Division
- Hawaii
-
Honolulu Police Department Helicopter Section
- Idaho
-
Kootenai County Sheriff'
/ref>
- Illinois
-
Chicago Police Department Marine and Helicopter Unit
-
Illinois State Police Air Operations Bureau
- Indiana
-
Fort Wayne Police Department Air Support Unit
-
Indiana State Police Aviation Section: 3 helicopters, and 2 fixed-winged planes
-
Lake County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit: 1 Eurocopter EC-120 helicopter, 2 OH-58 helicopters, and 1 UH-1H helicopters
- Iowa
-
Cedar Rapids Police Department
-
Iowa State Patrol Air Wing Unit
- Kansas
-
Kansas Highway Patrol Troop T - Aircraft: 1 Bell 407 helicopter, 1 Airbus H125 helicopter, 1 Cessna 182 RG fixed-wing aircraft, 3 Cessna 206 fixed-wing aircraft, and a 2001 King Air 350 for Executive transport for state officials
- Maine
-
Maine State Police Air Wing
-
Maine Forest Service Forest Protection Aviation Branch
-
Maine Marine Patrol
-
Maine Warden Service Aviation Division
- Maryland
-
Maryland State Police Aviation Command
-
Anne Arundel County Police Aviation Unit
-
Baltimore Police Aviation Unit
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Baltimore County Police Department: 3 AS350B3 helicopters
-
Prince George's County Police Aviation Section
- Massachusetts
-
Massachusetts State Police Air Wing
- Nebraska
-
Nebraska State Patrol Aviation Support Division: 1 Bell 407 helicopter, 3 Cessna T206H Turbo Stationair fixed-wing aircraft, and 1 Piper Super Cub
-
Omaha Police Department Air Support Unit: 2 Bell 206 helicopters
- Nevada
-
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Air Support Unit
- New Hampshire
-
New Hampshire State Police Special Enforcement Unit (SEU)
- New Jersey
-
New Jersey State Police - Special Operations Section - Aviation Bureau
- New York
-
New York State Police Aviation Unit
-
Erie County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit
-
New York City Police Department Aviation Unit
-
New York City Department of Environmental Protection Police Aviation Unit
-
Nassau County Police Department Aviation Unit
-
Onondaga County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit
-
Suffolk County Police Department Aviation Section
-
Westchester County Police Aviation Unit
- North Carolina
-
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Air Wing
-
North Carolina Highway Patrol Aviation
-
North Carolina Marine Patrol Aviation
-
Brunswick County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit
-
Robeson County Sheriff's Office Aviation Division
-
Wayne County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit
- North Dakota
-
North Dakota Highway Patrol Aircraft
- Ohio
-
Ohio State Highway Patrol Aviation Section
-
Cleveland Police Department Aviation Unit
- Oklahoma
-
Oklahoma City Police Department Air Support Unit: 2 Airbus H125 helicopters
-
Oklahoma Highway Patrol Troop O - Aircraft: 9 fixed-wing aircraft, 2 helicopters
-
Tulsa Police Department Air Support Unit: 1 Airbus AS 3503B
- Oregon
-
Oregon State Police Aviation Unit - four fixed-wing Cessnas
-
Clackamas County Sheriff Air Support Unit - one Cessna 182
-
Portland Police Air Support Unit
- Pennsylvania
-
Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Emergency and Special Operations Aviation Units
-
Philadelphia Police Aviation Unit
- Puerto Rico
-
Puerto Rico Joint Forces of Rapid Action
-
Puerto Rico Natural Resources Ranger Corps Aerial Patrol
- South Dakota
-
South Dakota Highway Patrol Aviation Unit - One Cessna T206
- Texas
-
Texas Department of Public Safety Aircraft Section
- Utah
-
Utah Department of Public Safety Aero Bureau (helicopters)
- Virginia
-
Virginia State Police 3 airplanes, 7 helicopters
-
Fairfax County Police Department Helicopter Division (two helicopters)
-
Henrico County Metro Aviation Unit
-
Virginia Beach Police Department Special Operations Aviation Unit
- Washington
-
Washington State Patrol: Special Operations Division: Aviation Section
-
King County Sheriff's Office Air Support (three helicopters)
-
Pierce County Sheriff's Department Air Operations - two Cessna 206s
-
Snohomish County Sheriff's Office Air Support
-
Spokane County Sheriff's Office (three helicopters)
- West Virginia
-
West Virginia State Police Aviation Section
- Wisconsin
-
Wisconsin State Patrol Air Support Unit
- Vietnam
Disbanded units
- United Kingdom
-
Chiltern Air Support Unit
-
Western Counties Air Operations Unit
- United States
-
Nevada Highway Patrol Flight Operations
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Port Authority of NY and NJ Police Department Aviation Unit
Border guards and customs services
- Estonia
-
Police and Border Guard Aviation Group
- Italy
-
Air Maritime Exploration Squadron Guardia di Finanza
- United States
-
Customs & Border Protection Air and Marine Operations
Maritime law enforcement agencies
- Iceland
-
Icelandic Coast Guard Aeronautical Division
- Italy
-
Italian Coast Guard Air Service
- Spain
- United States
-
US Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron
See also
-
Airship Management Services
-
Border guard
-
Police aviation in the United Kingdom
-
Military aviation
External links
