May 2007

Airborne Law Enforcement Association, Inc.

ALEA  E-Newsletter

[Advertisement]

CBP Pilot Killed in Line of Duty

Air Interdiction Agent, Clinton B. Thrasher, of the United States Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Division, lost his life in an aircraft accident last month.

While assisting border patrol agents in a search for a suspected smuggler who had fled on foot during a vehicle stop, Agent Thrasher, 32, was in radio contact with ground units while attempting to maintain visual contact on the suspect when the Cessna 182 he was piloting crashed onto a ranch in northern Hidalgo County, Texas.

Nearby units observed a smoke plume and immediately responded to the scene of the crash. Thrasher had served in law enforcement for 10 years and is survived by his wife and two children.

The Clinton B. Thrasher Memorial Fund (account number 2510417029 / routing number 114917623) has been established at IBC Bank. You may donate by going into any IBC Bank, or visiting http://www.ibc.com.

[TOP]

Rescue Hoist Helps SAR Missions

Despite its four helicopters, the King County (WA) Sheriff's Office Air Support Unit has been limited in some of its search and rescue missions. Last month, however, the Sheriff's Office unveiled a new $200,000 human hoist attached to their Guardian Two search and rescue helicopter in a public demonstration. The city council will now review the possibility of purchasing a Bambi bucket to attach to the hoist to assist in fighting wildfires.

Source: www.seattletimes.com

[TOP]

Swedish Helicopter Crashes

A Swedish National Police helicopter crashed last month during an exercise in southwestern Sweden, killing one person and leaving two seriously injured. A fourth person on board escaped with minor injuries after the helicopter went down by a lake. All four on board were police personnel. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. The aviation unit, called Polisflyget, is the only airborne police unit in Sweden.

Source: www.iht.com

[TOP]

[Advertisement]

Council Approves Equipment Purchases

City officials approved the use of federal grant money to upgrade one of the Pasadena (CA) Police Department's OH-58D Kiowa helicopters with a FLIR Systems Ultra 8000. The costs will be covered by a homeland security grant. The Pasadena Police Department's fleet also operates within surrounding communities as part of the Foothill Air Support Team. The department would like to have the new devices installed on all three of its helicopters.

Source: www.sgvtribune.com  

[TOP]

Man Faces Indictment For Laser Pointing

A man accused of pointing a laser device at a DeKalb County (GA) Police Department helicopter faces federal prosecution after being indicted on charges of lying to federal agents about the incident last month.

Pilots of the Atlanta police helicopter reported a man on the ground repeatedly targeted them with a green laser. The laser illuminated the cockpit glass and disoriented the pilots, who were wearing night vision goggles. Ground officers found the hand-held laser device, and the 24-year-old suspect admitted to pointing the laser at the helicopter, but denied doing so when the FBI questioned him later. If convicted, the man could be sentenced to five years in prison.

“The Justice Department takes very seriously any threat to the safety of our nation’s aviation system, to include actions against the brave men and women who pilot law enforcement aircraft,” said United States Attorney David E. Nahmias. “We are fortunate that no one was hurt in this incident. Across the nation, we have seen an increase in incidents where lasers are used to target civilian and government aircraft. This is dangerous conduct, and when we can identify those responsible, we will prosecute them.”

Source: www.ajc.com

[TOP]

China Orders Three Aircraft

Police officials of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau agreed last month to purchase three aircraft. The aircraft will play a significant role in ensuring security during the 2008 Olympic Games and the 2010 World Expo. Aviation police are expected to conduct various missions including air patrol, medical aid, rescue operations, traffic control and suspect pursuit.

The two EC135 helicopters and one EC155 helicopter are a major step forward in the establishment of a Shanghai Police Aviation Squad. Last December, the city advertised for 10 helicopter pilots especially for the new police air squad. There are currently 13 airborne law enforcement units in the country.

Source: www.shanghaidaily.com

[TOP]

Alabama Agency Hosts Training of Project Lifesaver

The Dale County (AL) Sheriff's Office hosted law enforcement agencies from Florida, South Carolina and Virginia last month for training with Project Lifesaver International. This training helps in searching for missing people with mental diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Autism and Down Syndrome, who wear a transmitter bracelet.

Pilots were trained in classrooms and then with actual flying so they can learn specialized tracking from the air techniques. Project Lifesaver officials say using technology like this improves response time and the chances of finding a missing person alive.

Source: www.wtvynews4.com

[TOP]

[Advertisement]

Investigators Site Pilot Error for Fatal Crash

Federal investigators have concluded that the helicopter crash that killed Uintah County (UT) Sheriff's Office Detective Kevin Orr in November 2006 was the result of pilot error. The National Transportation Safety Board ruled that the civilian pilot failed to maintain clearance and visual sight of power lines in the area where he was attempting to land the helicopter. During the descent, the aircraft became tangled in wires, impacting the ground before sliding down the sloping terrain and coming to rest partially submerged in the Green River.

Detective Orr was coordinating a search from the air for a missing 25-year-old woman. He was flying as an observer when the helicopter crashed.

Source: www.sltrib.com

[TOP]

Officials Back Joint Venture To Replace Aircraft

Three aging helicopters used in Volusia County (FL) will soon be replaced. The Halifax Medical Center will split the $5.9 million cost to buy three Bell 407 helicopters and the estimated $3.6 million cost to customize the aircraft for law enforcement and medical flights. The total cost is estimated at $9.52 million. County officials expect to get about $4.2 million to help defray the cost by trading in their three existing helicopters, about $1.4 million each.

"Even though it's a lot of money, it's already been hashed out and put under three years of budgets," Volusia County Chairman Frank Bruno said in a news report. "This is something really important for Volusia County. It saves lives." The helicopters will be delivered one per year for the next three years, starting this December.

Source: www.news-journalonline.com

[TOP]

Tulsa Upgrades Camera System

The Tulsa (OK) Police Department bought a new FLIR Systems 8000 camera pod for their helicopters last month, costing about $240,000. Police have had cameras in helicopters for some years, but the new one offers a better resolution and it has a better zoom capability. The Tulsa Police Department operates two helicopters, one 1995 MD500E and a 2003 Bell 206L4 LongRanger.

Source: www.policeaviationnews.com  

[TOP]

Police Aircraft Sold On eBay

In 2001, the Butler County (OH) Sheriff’s Office acquired a Robinson R44 to replace its military surplus OH58s used for weekend patrols. Butler County has now sold the Robinson and is expected to take delivery of a replacement R44 shortly. The former Butler R44 police aircraft, complete with video camera, FLIR, GPS and radios, was auctioned last month on eBay for $250,000.

Source: www.policeaviationnews.com

[TOP]

[Advertisement]

Hawaiian Police Investigate Lasing Incidents

City and federal authorities in Hawaii are investigating reports that a person or people have been shining beams from green laser pointers at aircraft over Oahu, a potentially dangerous prank. Honolulu Police Department knows of four incidents where flight crews have been “lased” this year, but that no arrests have been made.

Two Coast Guard lasing incidents occurred while aircraft were conducting instrument approaches. In both cases, the crews were on final approach to the runway in a very vulnerable position. "Landing is a precarious operation, the crew is completely focused and procedures need to be exact," said Commander Chris Moss, operations officer at Air Station Barbers Point. "To be distracted by the laser is dangerous in itself, but the eye damage from the laser can be instantaneous and permanent."

Under federal law, interfering with anyone engaged in the operation of an aircraft is an offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison and fines of $500,000 or more.

Source: www.honoluluadvertiser.com

[TOP]

FL Pilots Learn Bambi Technique

The Charlotte County (FL) Sheriff's Aviation Unit helicopter pilots trained last month in the use of a Bambi bucket that will soon be used to drop water on fires that endanger people and structures in the county. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office donated the equipment to CCSO Aviation. The Sheriff's Office is working on developing a protocol with Charlotte County Fire and EMS for the new equipment's usage.

Source: www.sunherald.com

[TOP]

FLIR Seminars Explained

The March/April 2007 edition of Air Beat magazine included reference to open house seminars offered by FLIR Systems. While not clear in the press release from FLIR, these seminars focus on the use of infrared technology for preventative maintenance in an industrial setting and are geared towards electrical, mechanical and engineering professionals, as opposed to military and law enforcement personnel. Conscientious members of ALEA, however, immediately began logging on to the seminar website provided in Air Beat to sign up. FLIR apologizes for this miscommunication, and would like to provide clarification: the seminars mentioned do not involve preventative maintenance on FLIR’s airborne systems; rather, they address using FLIR technology for preventative maintenance applications in electrical, mechanical and industrial settings.

Thermal imaging technology has many applications, and FLIR Systems has three different divisions to serve these different markets. In addition to the airborne imagers ALEA customers are familiar with, FLIR makes cameras for use by industrial personnel for factory maintenance, building insulation analysis, and research and development. Airborne sensor systems are infrared imagers that create a clear video image based on relative intensities of detected thermal energy. Thermography imagers, conversely, are hand-held and measure the precise temperature of the objects detected in addition to creating an image of them.

[TOP]

ALEA Heads to Florida – Will you be there?

ALEA provides the most comprehensive educational and professional development conference for airborne law enforcement aviators available. Don’t miss the 37th Annual Conference & Exposition in Orlando, Florida during the week of July 11 – 14, 2007. Your Air Beat Conference Preview Issue that was mailed in late April has all the details, plus you can find updates and all registration forms online at www.alea.org.

For accommodations, the AmeriSuites Orlando Hotel has just been added to the ALEA room block. Reserve your hotel rooms now, as space is limited. Amerisuites is located just three blocks from the Orange County Convention Center at 9801 International Drive in Orlando, Florida. To access the special ALEA room rates, call 407-370-4720 and dial "0" for the front desk and ask for the "Airborne Law Enforcement Group rate." If you call reservations directly, you may not receive the ALEA discounted rate of $105 per night, so make your reservations through the front desk.

[TOP]

For rates and availability, contact:

Jennifer Thornton
ALEA Ad Sales Representative
Ph (918) 274-3874
Fax (918) 274-8450
E-mail: jthornton@alea.org 

Get Your Organization's News Online

Send your press releases, company logos and photos to:

Lisa Wright
Editorial Director
airbeat@alea.org

Join Our Mailing List

ALEA’s Monthly E-Newsletters are designed to help keep you informed on the very latest information in the airborne law enforcement industry.  Our E-Newsletters are distributed by email, as an additional benefit to our membership. Anyone may join our mailing list.
 

This newsletter is published monthly by the Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA), a public benefit, non-profit California corporation. The ALEA is comprised of air crew and air support personnel in law enforcement and others who support, promote, and advance the safe and effective use of aircraft by law enforcement agencies.

© Copyright 2007 by the Airborne Law Enforcement Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this newsletter in whole or in part without written permission from the Editor is prohibited. Product and corporate names mentioned in this newsletter are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the ALEA.

Airborne Law Enforcement Association, Inc.
411 Aviation Way
Suite 200
Frederick, MD 21701
Phone (301) 631-2406
Fax (301) 631-2466