PROJECT ACE (AERIAL CRIME ENFORCEMENT) RIVERSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT, FINAL REPORT

• NCJ Number: 7110
• Author(s): P M WHISENAND; R O ROBINSON
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 110 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Riverside Police Dept
• Corporate Author: California State University, Long Beach
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF A TWELVE MONTH STUDY ON A POLICE HELICOPTER PATROL PROGRAM.

Abstract

THE PRIMARY MISSION OF THE ACE PROGRAM WAS TO ASSESS THE IMPACT AND USE OF POLICE HELICOPTERS AS A TECHNOLOGICAL ADJUNCT FOR COMBATTING CRIME IN RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA. THE RESEARCH DATA INDICATES THAT OF THE MAJOR CRIMES. THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF TIME WAS DEVOTED TO THE HANDLING OF BURGLARIES. ONE FINDING WAS THAT THE AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME PER CALL FOR SERVICE WAS UNDER TWO MINUTES. THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT CRIME DECREASED IN TARGET AREAS THOUGHT TO BE MOST VULNERABLE TO HELICOPTER PATROL - ROBBERY, BURGLARY AND AUTO THEFT. A COMMUNITY ATTITUDE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED AT THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF THE EVALUATION PERIOD, AND IN BOTH INSTANCES THE RESULTS WERE GREATLY IN FAVOR OF ACE. OVER 95 PERCENT OF THE OFFICERS BELIEVE THAT THE HELICOPTER IS AN AID TO THEM ON THEIR PARTICULAR ASSIGNMENT. IN GENERAL, PROJECT ACE WAS EVALUATED AS BEING COST- EFFECTIVE WHEN COMPARED TO THE EQUIVALENT NUMBER OF PATROL CARS WHICH COULD BE FIELDED WITH EQUIVALENT FUNDS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)