NCJ Number
109369
Date Published
1986
Length
75 pages
Annotation
This study considers whether or not a helicopter unit is justified for England's Northumbria police.
Abstract
The study is based on the experience of the Metropolitan Police (London) and the Devon and Cornwall helicopter units as well as personal interviews with senior police officers from Holland, the United States, and Australia who have established helicopter units in their own forces. The study reviews the history of British police aviation, the uses and duties of existing British police helicopter units, and the work of similar units in other countries. An examination of the potential benefits of a helicopter unit for the Northumbria Force focuses on the crime statistics and demographics of the force's jurisdiction, the required facilities and personnel for such a unit, and the uses of a police helicopter. The uses examined include rapid response, criminal pursuits, night illumination for police operations, medical evacuations, photography, and as a command post. The costs of such a unit are projected. The study recommends that a helicopter unit be established as soon as possible. Appendixes detail helicopter uses and the features of various helicopter models. 73-item bibliography.