HELICOPTER PATROL-AERIAL SURVEILLANCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.

• NCJ Number: 31
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 17 pages
• Grant Number(s): OLEA-198; OLEA-022
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Los Angeles Cty Sheriff's Dept
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE WATTS RIOT PROVED THE HELICOPTERS UTILITY AS AN EFFECTIVE EMERGENCY PATROL VEHICLE AT NIGHT.

Abstract

THIS LED TO THE CONCEPT OF THE HELICOPTER AS A DAY-NIGHT PATROL VEHICLE. THE TECHNIQUE RECENTLY UNDERWENT EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION BY THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. GOALS OF THE PROJECT SKY KNIGHT WERE SIX-FOLD - (1) IMPROVE POLICE RESPONSE TIME; (2) DEMONSTRATE SUCCESSFUL DAYTIME SURVEILLANCE METHODS; (3) INITIATE EFFECTIVE NIGHTTIME SURVEILLANCE; (4) INCREASE PATROL OBSERVATION; (5) INCREASE OFFICER SECURITY; AND (6) REDUCE CRIME IN THE PROJECT AREA. THE PROJECT DEMONSTRATED THAT THESE AMBITIONS COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED BY AN AERIAL POLICE UNIT, IN CONJUNCTION WITH EXISTING GROUND UNITS, WITHOUT THE REQUIREMENT OF CONTINUOUSLY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS AND RADIO CARS AT THE PACE FOUND NECESSARY TODAY, TO COPE WITH SPIRALING CRIME RATES. THE HELICOPTER WAS OUTFITTED AS A POLICE VEHICLE, COMPLETE WITH NIGHT FLYING EQUIPMENT. A FOUR-FREQUENCY SHERIFF'S RADIO INSTALLATION PROVIDED TRANSMIT-RECEIVE CAPABILITIES BETWEEN DISPATCHER AND AIR UNITS, ON TWO SEPARATE FREQUENCIES. A THIRD FREQUENCY ENABLED THE HELICOPTER TO COMMUNICATE WITH ANY PATROL UNIT WITHIN RANGE. THE FOURTH, AND MOST SIGNIFICANT FREQUENCY, WAS RESTRICTED TO AIR AND GROUND UNITS WITHIN THE EXPERIMENTAL PATROL AREA. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)