Air Beat Magazine - Journal of the
Airborne Law Enforcement Association
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The London Metro Police Air Support Unit’s
Silver Anniversary
Text and Photos by Bryn E. Elliott
Police Aviation News
In the early hours of August 20, 1989, up to 150 young
partygoers were dancing the night away and admiring the view of nighttime
London from the 90-ton River Thames pleasure boat, Marchioness, as they
celebrated the 26th birthday of Antonio de Vasconcellos. Without warning,
the vessel was struck from behind by the 1,800-ton ocean going dredger Bow
Belle as it passed under Southwark Bridge. The crowded pleasure boat tipped
over on its side and sank quickly. Fifty-five people were either thrown from
the vessel or dragged below its dark waters in the twisted wreck to their
deaths.
Not far away, the Information Room at New Scotland Yard
was first alerted, at 0149hrs, by one of the River Police launches. Within
two minutes, an orange alert had gone out to some of the best accident and
emergency services in the world. Earliest on the scene were police launches,
but all types of craft were put to use in a frantic effort to save as many
as possible from the murky waters.
At the time the duties of the Metropolitan Police
helicopters remained unduly civilized with the unit normally operating until
2200 hours each evening, then relying on the call out of a duty crew of
three. Extracted from their warm beds the morning of August 20, the duty
officers and the pilot returned to Lippitts Hill and flew to Central London
to assist the searchers in looking for survivors with the aid of the high
powered searchlight. Sadly, the extended time elapsing between the accident
and their arrival precluded any realistic chance of finding survivors.
The same applied to the calling in of the Coast Guard helicopter from
Lee-on-Solent in Hampshire and a military ASR Sea King. Although the Bristow
Sikorsky S-61N was equipped with a heat seeking FSI FLIR 2000 unit, the
sheer distance that each of these helicopters had to cover from its base to
London resulted in the rescue helicopters also arriving far too late for
life saving.
Today, though, such a tragedy could easily be averted
owing to the progress made by police air operations in and around London.
The end of November 2005 commemorated 25 years of service for the London
Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit, which is now a true 24/7 operation. /p>
This silver anniversary does not mark 25 years of
aviation for the Metropolitan Police, however, which actually dates back to
1921, when the government tested ex-wartime airships for use in traffic
control.
In subsequent decades, a wide range of aircraft for
traffic and crowd control was flown. Many of these operations were at the
leading edge of technology, but none led to a permanent air operation. The
first use of a helicopter was in 1947, but again, it was not the start of
anything consistent. A decade of experiments and a small-scale, fixed-wing
operation eventually saw the regular use of light aircraft on traffic
control over London. But this was swept aside by a government requirement
that banned the use of single-engine aircraft over the Capital.
Helicopters returned to service briefly with an Army
trial operating Bell 47G Sioux over London for some weeks. That operation
would be the precursor to present day operations using Hughes 300
helicopters after 1970. For just under a decade, single engine helicopters
(all of them leased) held influence over London’s undertaking of a broader
range of traffic and crime patrols.
However, by the late 1970s, the government had again
decreed that police air operations would have to utilize twin-engine
helicopters if they were to continue to serve over the capital city. In
spite of the dire financial shock waves this sent through New Scotland Yard,
the use of helicopters with twin engines was not entirely a new concept in
standard police work. Argentinean Police had employed the Bolkow BO105 since
1975, and since 1979, this type was used extensively in Holland and Germany.
Uniquely, Qatar ordered the twin-engine Westland Lynx for police use in
1978. And in the murky area beyond the Iron Curtain, police were known to
have been using the Mil Mi-2, but that was not a type of operation that many
knew a great deal about even many years later.
In many ways, the late 1970s became a watershed for many police flying
units. It was a time when new equipment was sought to replace fleets
equipped with the Alouette and Bell 47 with more advanced helicopter types
of a newer generation. In the late 1970s, the range of twin-engine
helicopter models was quite restricted. The agency’s choices for acquisition
were narrowed down to the AS365 and the Bell 222 by December of 1978.
Up until the delivery of this new helicopter fleet, all
previous air operations in London were undertaken by commercial contractors.
The choice was finally made to purchase two Bell helicopters and to build a
substantial hangar, workshops, offices and control room at Lippitts Hill. In
addition to a paint scheme that mimicked the accepted standard for road
vehicles at that time, white with red and yellow stripes, helicopters were
to include basic role equipment—a speaker system, a powerful searchlight and
a rescue winch.
A major feature of the London Bell 222 fleet was to be
the fitting of the Mark 2 version of the Marconi Heli-Tele. This heavy
television camera system was a straight graft from a military security
system developed for the British Army in its war against the Irish
Republican Army in Ulster. Although it had its limitations, it was a world
leader in the technology and was to greatly enhance the capability of the
new air unit.
Before delivery of the new Bell, the innovative camera
system saw critical use in a major international event—the dramatic Iranian
Embassy siege. In June of 1980, the Iranian Embassy was taken over in an
incident that proved worthy of a few books. Employing the probing eye of
Heli-Tele, the yellow police Bolkow was used to provide an aerial monitor of
the scene and spent many hours hovering above Hyde Park observing the
building. It was on hand to record the final minutes of the assault of the
building by members of the SAS. It was reported that more than one
television reporter got carried away and mistook the large spherical sensor
ball for a “remotely controlled gun turret.”
In the United States, the Bell 222 picked up the nickname
“triple-deuce,” a title that did not travel across the Atlantic to the base
of the new operators. Although the appellation was used on a number of
occasions by the UK press in their reports on the type, the name did not get
used by the police agency.
Throughout its British police service, the Bell 222 was
known as the “treble-two,” with individual aircraft being identified by a
phonetic alphabet rendition of the last letter of the registration. The
first aircraft was therefore “alpha.”
The first Metropolitan Police Bell 222 helicopter was
re-registered from its temporary United States marks to G-META on August 1,
1980. The helicopter arrived at Southampton Docks on August 24 and flew to
the Bell agents at Oxford, CSE Aviation Ltd. three days later for fitting
with role equipment.
The first full-time police aviation unit with its own
aircraft in the United Kingdom was officially launched at Lippitts Hill on
November 26, 1980. A fleet of visiting Bell helicopters descended upon
Lippitts Hill with official guests.
The Home Secretary of the time, the Rt. Hon. William
Whitelaw, later Lord Whitelaw, accompanied by the Commissioner of the day,
Sir David McNee QPM, and a gathering of senior police and officials from the
Home Office, proudly presented the new aircraft and facilities to the
gathered media. The ceremony to officially launch and name the Metropolitan
Police Air Support Unit was held inside the hangar and consisted of the Home
Secretary removing the force flag and unveiling the force crest on the flank
of the Bell and a ceremonial handing over of the aircraft keys to the chief
pilot.
With the official hand-over complete, there followed a
brief period of operations relying upon the Bo105 as the crews set about
learning how to operate the new helicopter type and its new tools. Despite
the fact that the duties of the unit had expanded considerably in the years
prior to the arrival of the Bell 222, the number of personnel remained
almost the same as it was in 1975: an inspector, John Saville, three
sergeants and 16 constables.
During this same period, flying times had risen to
average around 1,200 hours annually. Following the model of U.S. practice,
the unit undertook a respond and patrol flight cycle rather than respond
only. It was to be well over a decade before the economics of this policy
were called into question. Normal availability of the helicopters remained
restricted. Overall, it was initially available on a weekday basis from 0800
hours to 1600 hours or 1400 hours to 2200 hours.
Although the Bells were equipped to fly in bad weather on
instruments, there was a tendency to go home if the conditions got
particularly “dirty.” One result of this operating style was that the unit
was not always available when major incidents occurred. Probably the most
memorable of these was the collision between the Marchioness and the Bow
Belle on the River Thames that claimed 55 lives.
In later years, when police air support came of age in
the early 1990s, many acknowledged that the standard of early operations was
a bit too laid back. Eventually operational pressures were to change things,
and a seven day rotation was imposed.
Now that has all changed. Coming off of its 25th
anniversary, the London Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit now has
helicopters at the ready during all hours of the day, employing three
Eurocopter AS355N helicopters (which are due to be replaced by Eurocopter
EC145s in 2006). The anniversary of the unit, marked by a black tie dinner
and dance event in a London hotel, provided a suitable opportunity for the
Airborne Law Enforcement Association to meet up with their British and
European counterparts.
With these strong international ties, airborne law
enforcement in London should only see continued progress over its next 25
years.
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Police Aviation In The UK
By Captain Tony Cowan MBE
We’ve come a long way since 1921, when most people would
agree that police air support in the United Kingdom began. In that year, the
Metropolitan Police in London used the airship R33 belonging to the Royal
Air Force to provide an observation platform at one of the famous English
horse race meetings, the Epsom Derby. Further ad hoc trials took place with
a variety of airplanes, but it was not until the mid-1960s that the Home
Office (HO), the government department responsible for policing England and
Wales, organized a trial with two helicopters, the Bell 47G and the Westland
Scout, both used by the British Army. Following the trial, the HO decided
the Bell 47G was slow to get airborne, and, because of its low cruise speed
and very limited endurance, its radius of action was too small. The faster
Westland Scout with its single turbine engine was preferred, but it was
judged to be too expensive for the police budget at that time. Role
equipment was limited to a pair of binoculars and paper charts. Any
advancement towards the level of air support that we enjoy today would have
to wait another 30 years.
Today, the UK has a total of 52 city and provincial
police forces: 43 in England & Wales, eight in Scotland and one in Northern
Ireland. By far the biggest police force is the Metropolitan Police who,
together with the City of London Police, cover the metropolitan area of the
capital city, London. Other large police forces include the Greater
Manchester Police and, in Scotland, Strathclyde Police who cover Glasgow and
surrounding areas. In England and Wales there are 27 individual police air
support units. Scotland has one, Strathclyde, and there is one in Northern
Ireland. Twenty-one of the individual police forces have a dedicated air
support unit, with a further 19 departments grouping themselves into eight
consortiums to cover the costs of running one or two helicopters or, in the
case of the Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police, three
helicopters. Nevertheless, despite these cost-sharing arrangements, five
English and seven Scottish police forces do not have an air support unit.
Moreover, the majority of units are not available for 24 hours a day and
shut down their operation at around 0200 hours each morning.
However, right now, the HO is conducting a detailed
review of policing in England & Wales with the aim of reducing the number of
individual police forces from 43 to around 20 "strategic forces" with 4,000
officers and 2,000 support staff. How this will impact on the provision of
air support is, as yet, unknown. It’s possible that with the larger police
forces and greater spending power, there could be an increase in the number
of aircraft available for law enforcement.
Up until a few years ago, the most popular helicopters in
use in the UK were the AS355 Twin Squirrel and Bolkow BO105, but the
Eurocopter EC-135 and the MD902 Explorer are now replacing them. Two forces,
Devon & Cornwall Constabulary in England and Dyfed-Powys Police in Wales,
have bucked this trend and operate the Eurocopter BK117 and the Augusta
A109. All these new generation helicopters are equipped with cameras and
thermal imagers by FLIR Systems or L-3/Wescam, and all of them have
electronic mapping to assist with navigation in rural and urban areas. Each
aircraft is operated by a civilian pilot – on contract to the individual
police force – and two police air observers, one to operate the camera
system and the other to provide navigation assistance to the pilot and radio
communication with officers on the ground.
A possible weakness is that very few of the helicopter
pilots are rated to fly by reference to instruments alone. Is this a
problem? The answer is – not just yet! But, we have arrived at a point where
the new IFR capable helicopters, with comprehensive flight instrumentation
and autopilots, are being flown by VFR pilots. This anomaly must be judged
against the operational environment. In the UK we are blessed with a
temperate maritime climate and don’t suffer from the extremes of continental
North America. Nevertheless, changes in the weather can be very quick as
frontal systems with low clouds and rain arrive from the North Atlantic.
These changes from good weather to bad weather are compounded by long winter
nights.
Sadly, there have been a number of fatal and near fatal
accidents as the result of pilots going "inadvertent IMC" and then becoming
disorientated before impacting the ground. In the future the use of night
vision goggles will, unfortunately, increase the danger of going IMC in
marginal weather. However, at this time there is only one UK police air
support unit that uses NVGs on a regular basis, and, sensibly, its pilots
have instrument ratings. On this particular point the police may decide to
follow the lead of the British military.
"No modern pilot can be considered fully qualified until
he has a thorough knowledge of air traffic control procedures and a sound
basic skill in instrument flying," says the Royal Air Force Manual of
Elementary Flying Training.
To this point I haven’t mentioned fixed-wing operations,
but this is, I believe, where we will see some exciting developments in the
near future. In the UK there are only four police forces, Cheshire, Greater
Manchester, Hampshire and Northern Ireland, which use airplanes on a regular
basis. Of these, the Greater Manchester Police may be regarded as a model
for the future with a helicopter, an MD902 Explorer, used for reactive
tasking, and a BN Defender 4000 used for air support in operations against
serious and organized crime. In the past, before the high quality cameras of
today, it was necessary to fly slowly and close to the ground to stand any
chance of spotting a criminal or a missing person. But modern cameras, such
as the L-3/Wescam MX-15 and the FLIR StarSafire, have a zoom magnification
and thermal sensitivity that we could only dream about a few years ago. With
these cameras a felon can be targeted from several thousand feet and from an
airplane that is virtually invisible.
To the budget manager there is the added attraction of an
aircraft that will cost a third as much to purchase and significantly less
to operate. In simple terms you can purchase three fully equipped police
airplanes for the price of one helicopter. What’s more, the airplane will be
fully equipped for flight on instruments, and it will be cleared for flight
in icing conditions. These attributes are particularly useful if you have to
operate in a dark rural environment with limited visual references, or if
you have to cross a mountain range at night or fly through adverse weather
to reach the area of operations. These may not be new ideas, but it is now,
in the face of rising costs, that they are gaining ground on both sides of
the pond.
For the UK operator, the potential savings are even
greater due to the very high cost of aviation fuel, and, as we know,
helicopters consume a significantly greater amount of fuel than airplanes of
an equivalent size. (And in the UK there is an additional factor: to operate
at night, police aircraft must have two engines.) At this time the price of
Jet-A1 in the UK is around $3.90 per US gallon with AVGAS costing $10 per
gallon!
Spurred on by the high cost of aviation fuel,
particularly AVGAS, there has been a determined effort in Europe to develop
diesel aero-engines (compression ignition as opposed to spark ignition)
fuelled by Jet-A1. The leaders in this field of aero-engine technology are
Thielert in Germany and SMA in France. These engines are 30 percent more
fuel efficient than spark ignition engines of a similar size, and because
they use Jet-A1, the cost of fuel may be reduced from around $300 to $82 per
flight hour for a twin-engine airplane. They will burn 21 US gallons of
Jet-A1 per hour instead of 30 US gallons of AVGAS; that’s a savings of
$218,000 per 1,000 flight hours at UK prices.
The European leaders in the application of this new
technology are Vulcanair in Italy and Diamond in Austria. Vulcanair is well
on the way to certification of the popular P68 Observer, in which a pair of
SMA aero-diesel engines will replace the "bullet proof" Lycomings. In
Austria, Diamond is pushing ahead with the development of their DA42 Twin
Star with Thielert diesels under the designation Multi-Purpose Platform (MPP).
This aircraft will have a state-of-the-art camera system mounted in the
nose.
But, can the airplane produce the same crime fighting
results as its helicopter stable mate? Surprisingly, yes. I say this because
of my own experience as a former military pilot with over seven years of
experience in police air support operations, including involvement in 476
arrests and the recovery of large amounts of stolen property. Furthermore,
one UK police force, when operating an airplane and helicopter alongside
each other, found that the "hit rate," the number of arrests per tasks
flown, for the bread and butter jobs of a search at the scene of a crime and
vehicle pursuit was 25 percent for the helicopter and 27 percent for the
airplane; the airplane had a better hit rate than the helicopter! The
reasons for this are quite complex, but contributing factors may have
included the fact that the airplane, flown by a pilot with an instrument
rating, could operate in a rural area with a minimum of cultural lighting
when the helicopter, flown by a VFR pilot, would have to turn back. Also,
because of its better endurance, the airplane could remain in an operating
area for an extended period to carry out a thorough search or complete a
time-consuming surveillance mission.
Nevertheless, any well-founded unit will, budget
permitting, follow the example of the Greater Manchester Police and operate
an airplane and a helicopter alongside each other, or, as we say in the UK,
follow a policy of "mix and match."
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Calgary’s Eye In The Sky
By Mark McWhirter
It is an understatement to say that these are exciting
times for the Calgary Police Service Air Services Unit. Last year marked a
decade of continuous service for Canada’s first municipal police helicopter.
Although other operations have started in the country, Calgary is still the
basis for a wealth of knowledge and operational success.
The Helicopter Air Watch for Community Safety program
began as a research project in 1992. Although the project was highly
successful, it was deemed too expensive to operate. The project was
temporarily put aside until the time came that the CPS budget would allow
such an operation.
Tragedy struck the Calgary Police Service on October 8,
1993 when constable Rick Sonnenberg was killed in the line of duty while
trying to stop a stolen vehicle. But out of tragedy came triumph when Lisa
Barrett, the fallen officer’s sister, stepped forward to establish a
memorial fund to purchase a police helicopter. The Constable Rick Sonnenberg
Memorial Society raised $1.8 million and purchased an MD Helicopters
MD-520N. On June 30, 1995 the society officially presented HAWC 1 to the
Calgary Police Service Air Services Unit.
The objective of HAWC 1 is to respond to situations where
a life is at risk, a crime is in progress or any other time it can be of
assistance. The helicopter has proven particularly effective in responding
to vehicle pursuits because it minimizes the risk to civilians and officers.
The helicopter provides real-time information on road conditions and
upcoming traffic to officers on the ground from a unique aerial perspective.
The Calgary Fire Department and Calgary Police Service
have an agreement that allows HAWC 1 to be used in any situation where it
can be of assistance. The CFD purchased a Bambi Bucket to deal with local
grass fires, and it was donated to HAWC 1. The helicopter is often called
for assistance in search and rescue roles on the Bow River and has saved
countless lives in the process. HAWC 1 is even showcased at various
community events around the Calgary area.
The unobstructed and unique view from the air allows
officers on the ground a valuable asset and another perspective of the
evolving events. The helicopter is able to respond to calls effectively,
efficiently and, most importantly, safely. "It is a force multiplier," says
Detective Mike ter Kuile when discussing the value of HAWC 1 to the CPS.
HAWC 1 patrols the city of Calgary seven days a week and
is on call 24 hours a day. In its 10 years of service, HAWC 1 has responded
to over 35,000 calls with an average response time of less than two minutes.
The helicopter serves as a highly visible form of crime deterrence by
circling overhead of high-crime areas, either with the spot light on (overt)
or off to maintain secrecy (covert).
The MD Helicopters MD520N is a small helicopter that is
well suited to police forces around the world. It proves a stable platform
for deploying officers and is adaptable to many different configurations. At
the time of purchase, the MD520N was one of the quietest helicopters
available—an asset for police service. The NOTAR system cuts down on noise
complaints from citizens during the night.
The Calgary Police Service has equipped its helicopter
with a variety of crime fighting and prevention tools. A Spectrolab SX-16
Nightsun searchlight allows the tactical flight officer to illuminate open
areas or focus on a fleeing suspect. A Wescam 16DS-A infrared camera is able
to detect radiant heat sources or hotspots in the dead of night. HAWC 1 is
also equipped with police and fire radios to communicate with ground
personnel in any situation.
Since its inception, the Air Services Unit has grown to
include four tactical flight officers, four pilots and two engineers as full
time staff, and another three tactical flight officers work on a part time
basis. The unit is a tight knit group that values teamwork and safety.
The Calgary Police Service employs civilian pilots, which
minimizes risk and initially allowed for the unit to start operations
earlier because candidates were already experienced pilots. That fact also
allows for lower training costs because applicants start with higher
capabilities and an existing foundation of experience.
Tactical flight officers are selected through a rigorous
selection process. Applicants are required to have at least three years of
Calgary Police Service tenure before they can apply to become a member of
the Air Services Unit. Applicants must undergo a physical, complete an
interview and pass the required training.
The two full time engineers are responsible for all
day-to-day maintenance including airframe and engine maintenance, as well as
repairs to the attached police equipment on the MD520N. The engineers are a
significant part of the HAWCS team and undergo extensive training.
As with any other rotary-wing operator, the CPS faces
challenges in the daily operation of HAWC 1. In addition to the standard
industry hurdles of rising fuel and insurance costs, the CPS also faces
human resource and budget constraints. Regardless of the obstacles faced,
the Air Services Unit has found a way to successfully meet the needs of the
city on a consistent basis.
The Calgary Police Service was the first municipal police
force in Canada to take advantage of the unique benefits that an aerial
platform offers. The unprecedented move forced the CPS to look south for
inspiration and logistical assistance. The Calgary model was constructed
from the best attributes of various American police operations—particularly
those in California.
The HAWC 1 model is unique and tailored to Calgary and
its citizens’ needs. The Calgary Police Service has also found itself to be
a valuable resource to other Canadian municipalities with helicopter
operations, or those looking to start one. In the past 10 years, the CPS has
amassed a working knowledge of the helicopter industry through the valuable
experience gained from operations.
The citizens of Calgary are strong supporters of HAWC 1
and the community safety it provides. But after patrolling Calgary’s skies
for over 10 years, HAWC 1 is nearing a need for extensive maintenance. To
avoid a lapse in aerial policing, the HAWC 2 lottery was started as a
onetime event to address the need for a second helicopter. In partnership
with the Rick Sonnenberg Memorial Society, the Calgary Police Service was
able to raise over $1 million for the purchase of a second aircraft.
The Eurocopter Colibri EC-120 was selected by the CPS to
complement the existing MD-520N. The EC-120 has grown in popularity with
police forces around the world and has become the premier rotary-wing law
enforcement platform. Two Canadian municipalities already operate the EC-120
– the Edmonton Police Service Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Vancouver and
the York Regional Police.
The EC-120 boasts modern technology and a strong support
system from Eurocopter Canada, which enables it to operate more efficiently
when compared to the older MD-520N. The EC-120 is as quiet as the existing
helicopter – something that is of great significance when operating in an
urban area. Although each aircraft has its own unique noise signature, both
get fewer noise complaints than conventional tail rotor equipped aircraft.
The EC-120 is larger than the existing MD-520N and will be fitted with
updated crime fighting tools.
The Calgary Police Service Air Services Unit will be
moving into a new hangar on the Southeast corner of the Calgary
International Airport in early 2006. The new facility will offer increased
space for the addition of the second helicopter.
HAWC 1 could not operate without the immense community
support it has earned. It has proved highly effective during its first
decade of service—it will certainly continue to excel with the addition of
HAWC 2.
Although the Airborne Law Enforcement Association is an
American-based organization, it unites the airborne policing community
internationally. Detective Mike ter Kuile, ALEA Canadian Regional Director,
calls the ALEA "a nucleus of knowledge." The ALEA allows agencies to learn
from each other and benefit from the experience of other agencies.
The ALEA has proved to be a valuable resource for HAWC 1
by providing the latest techniques and tactics applicable to it. All pilots
and tactical flight officers are sent annually to attend ALEA briefings and
recurrent training as a form of ongoing education. The ability to network
with their peers and the professional development gained from the ALEA has
aided the continued success of HAWC 1 and its crew.
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Expanding Missions South Of The Border
By Greg Bourland
Texas Department of Public Safety
Chihuahua ("Chi-Wau-Wah") is Mexico's largest region with
over a quarter of a million square miles of territory occupying nearly 13
percent of the nation’s total land space. It shares a long land border with
the United States and is approximately 250 miles from El Paso, Texas.
Policing such a large, crucial area is no easy task.
Chihuahua is also a land of magnificent scenery with
mountains, canyons, deserts and fresh, clean air. Its spectacular canyons
are the biggest in North America, and within the canyons are beautiful
waterfalls, one of which is the highest in Mexico. Chihuahua also contains
fertile valleys, orchards and crop fields.
To help preserve the majesty of this vast region, the
Chihuahua Police Department began an airborne law enforcement program with a
Bell 206B3 helicopter named "Halcón Uno" in 2002. Based at the Chihuahua
Police Department’s headquarters in Chihuahua City, the Air Operations Unit
responds to various emergencies and tasks supporting patrol and special
operations. Other activities include surveillance, NVG operations and EMT
deployment to help provide Chihuahua City with the fastest and most
professional response available.
Captain Mauricio Olivares is the Commanding Officer of
the Air Operations Unit, which consists of two pilots, 10 tactical flight
officers, three maintenance technicians, two dispatchers and administrative
personnel.
The missions of the Air Operations Unit are designed
exclusively to achieve department goals as they relate to community service
and officer safety. When utilizing Halcón Uno, fewer ground-based officers
are required at crime scenes and perimeters, and officers are kept in
tactical advantage and out of questionable situations.
The ALEA’s Central Region has long tried to gain a
stronger membership footing and greater participation from its Latin
neighbors in Central and South America. For the first time in ALEA history,
the Central Region now has a co-director who is south of the border.
Mauricio Olivares has been appointed to this position, and his impressive
background will make him a well-respected voice for ALEA in Mexico.
Chief Olivares attended the University of Commercial
Marketing, where he received an International Business Degree. Then it was
off to the Military Academy for three years, which led to 13 years in the
Mexican Air Force, where he attained the rank of Captain. While in the Air
Force, he flew UH-60 Blackhawks, Bell 212s and MD-530s. He then worked two
years for Pemex Petroleum Mexicanos, flying to offshore oil rigs in Bell
412s and Sikorsky 76s. It was then that he first joined the Chihuahua State
Police, where for three years he flew the Bell 206 L4. Next, Chief Olivares
went to work for the PGR (a Mexican federal agency equivalent to the DEA in
the U.S.). There, he flew the UH-1H Huey (the PGR has 90 of these). Finally,
about two to three years ago he was hired into his current position.
Flying approximately 1,200 hours annually, the Chihuahua
Police Department Air Operations Unit’s missions include support of police
ground units, search and rescue and medevac operations. They respond to
locations as far as 100 miles away throughout the State of Chihuahua. The
unit currently flies a Bell 206 B3 equipped with a Wescam MD-12, a
Spectrolab SX-5 spotlight and night vision goggles. It is possible that they
may receive donated, decommissioned helicopters in the future, either a
UH-1H from the New Mexico State Police or two OH-58s from the Albuquerque
(New Mexico) Police Department.
In January, members of Chief Olivares’ unit will be
training with the Albuquerque Police Department. Both Olivares and his pilot
will attend an NVG course, while two of his TFOs and one K-9 unit will
attend tactical flight officer school. In November, Chief Olivares is
hopeful that his department will travel to Austin, Texas to tour and train
with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Aircraft Section and attend the
ALEA Central Region Safety Seminar in San Antonio.
Chief Olivares previously attended ALEA’s annual
conference in San Antonio and has been an ALEA member since 2001. He says
that as chief of a law enforcement air unit, he is strongly committed to two
goals: safety and training. He is committed to ALEA and his role as Mexico’s
co-director because he knows that these are the primary goals of ALEA as
well. He believes that attending ALEA Safety Seminars and Annual Conferences
affords the opportunity to obtain valuable training specific to airborne law
enforcement, to see the latest in airborne law enforcement technology and to
simultaneously provide networking opportunities within our profession.
ALEA thanks Chief Olivares for accepting the
responsibility and position of Central Region Co-Director for Mexico and
knows that with his assistance, we can expand the benefits of ALEA
membership far south of the border.
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