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Airborne Law Enforcement Association, Inc. |
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ALEA E-Newsletter |
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Texas DPS To House Helicopter in Amarillo
"The Texas Panhandle has never had air patrol or air service," said Randall County Sheriff Joel Richardson. "There are times that if I'm looking for a lost person, an escaped inmate, someone who's fled on foot or a car or needing to do fly-over surveillance somewhere - the benefits are going to be enormous," Richardson said. "When we were fighting wildfires, I cannot begin to tell you how beneficial that would have been to have the view from the air.” Richardson said the helicopter would be a new, fully equipped A-Star, estimated to cost around $3 million. A three-man crew also will be assigned to it. Source: www.amarillo.com [TOP] |
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Source: www.expatica.com [TOP] |
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Eurocopter Delivers to Slovenian Police
The new Slovenian EC135 police helicopter has increased payload and take-off power, as well as improved performance at high altitude and high temperatures. The aircraft is fitted with searchlights, FLIR, data downlink, and a fully digital intercom system. Source: Eurocopter [TOP] |
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Avalex Named In Magazine’s Top Companies
"Avalex is proud to be included in the Inc. 5,000 list of the fastest growing, private companies in America.” said Tad Ihns, CEO of Avalex. “This honor reflects the tremendous growth Avalex has achieved through our continuous pursuit of innovation and our unparalleled quality of service.” The 2007 Inc. 5,000 list measures revenue growth from 2003 through 2006. To qualify, companies had to be U.S.-based and privately held, not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies, and, as of December 31, 2006 have had at least $200,000 in revenue in 2003 and $2 million in 2006. Source: Avalex [TOP] |
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Emergency Landing For Russian Police Helicopter
“When an emergency occurred aboard and one of the engines ignited, the crew did its best to take the helicopter away from the settlements and then made an emergency landing at a construction site,” the Interior Minister press center said. The crew and the environmental police officers tried to extinguish the fire once on the ground, but failed and the helicopter burned completely. A special commission has been set up to investigate the incident. Source: www.itar-tass.com [TOP] |
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Couple Donates Airplane To Sheriff's Office
The county's search and rescue operation is comprised of about 50 volunteers who donate their time and money to keep the program going. Bennett said the donors told him that they appreciate the volunteers and just wanted to do something for them. Utah County asked local county commission approval to use some of the $190,000 realized from their aircraft sale to work on the aircraft's interior and to purchase a new engine. The 210 should be ready for its primary duties of transportation and tracking later this year. Source: www.aero-news.net [TOP] |
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Police Commissioner Signs Contract
Guy Joannes, CEO of Eurocopter Southern Africa, stated in a press release, “We are extremely proud of the confidence placed in our company and our product to get Botswana’s newly-established Police Air Support airborne. The AS350 B3 has a proven track record in police missions, especially in hot and high conditions. Eurocopter can back it up with a wealth of experience, being the world’s leading supplier of helicopters for law enforcement and homeland security operations.” Each aircraft will be equipped with a forward-looking infrared system, Spectrolab Nightsun, rescue hoist, cargo swing and external loud hailers. With the Botswana Police Air Support starting from scratch, Eurocopter Southern Africa will also provide the type rating training for six pilots and the training of three mechanics. Source: www.palapye.wordpress.com [TOP] |
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New Fleet Authorized for Nebraska Agency
Police crews will be able to transfer the search equipment from the old choppers to the new ones when they're delivered next year. The new helicopters will arrive in August and October of 2008. "They're much more versatile and the technology is much better than in the current aircraft," said Councilman Jim Suttle. The council said the decision to buy came after two years of careful evaluation. OPD pilots tested five different types in a competition to see which company would get the contract. Last year, the Omaha Police helicopter spent an average of 4.5 hours in the air every day. Ten years ago, the controversy over whether even having a police helicopter was worthwhile went on for months. Today, it proves its value on a regular basis. Source: www.wowt.com [TOP] |
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Source: www.theledger.com [TOP] |
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Highway Patrol Accepts Delivery
Source: CHP [TOP] |
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DART Purchases Life Raft Manufacturer
For DART, which has been the exclusive distributor of Apical products for more than three years, the move strengthens its drive to significantly broaden its internal engineering and manufacturing capabilities. Earlier in 2007, DART purchased electronics accessory designer and manufacturer Geneva Aviation. “Adding Apical as a permanent member of the growing DHS family of companies gives us additional engineering and manufacturing capability,” said DHS President Jeff Shapiro. “The addition of Apical brings our engineering staff to nearly 20 and assures our customers of continued development of the accessories that make their helicopters safer and more efficient.” Source: Dart Helicopter Services LLC [TOP] |
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Nigerian Police Receive Donated Aircraft
Okiro urged organizations and other corporate bodies to emulate the FCT administration. He gave the assurance that the police would make effective use of the helicopter to enhance the security of lives and property in Nigeria. Source: www.thetidenews.com [TOP] |
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Three Police Units Upgrade Aircraft Support
The cameras will also be linked to the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) databases. Chief Supt. Garry Forsyth, chairman of the Air Support Unit Policy Group, said, "The speed of its response, the airborne observations it provides and its overall capabilities saves valuable time and money in lieu of ground-based resources." The new aircraft was paid for by selling the old helicopter and from cash grants from each of the three forces. Source: www.daventrytoday.co.uk/news [TOP] |
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The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is conducting their 114th Annual Conference & Exposition in New Orleans, LA, October 14-16, 2007, and ALEA will once again be represented. Members of the Board of Directors will staff the ALEA booth as well as represent the Association at the Aviation Committee meeting and the Excellence in Police Aviation Award Luncheon. So if you have plans to attend IACP's conference, make sure you visit the ALEA booth. [TOP] |
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RCMP To Host Canadian Region Safety Seminar The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Vancouver Air Section will be the host agency for ALEA’s Canadian Region Safety Seminar on October 24-26, 2007 to be held in Vancouver, B.C. Workshops will be held on topics including: Safety Management Systems: A Systems Approach to Aviation Safety; Managing Risks and Coping with Consequences; High Altitude Surveillance Operations; Mountain Flying Review; Ground Threats to Air Units; Aviation Support to K-9 Operations as well as the 2010 Winter Olympics Security Planning Unit. For registration information, please visit www.alea.org/public/seminars or contact Canadian Region Director Troy Rudy by emailing trudy@alea.org. You will also find information about next month’s Central Region Safety Seminar to be held on November 5-7, 2007 in Dallas, TX on our website. [TOP] |
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ALEA has many great topics planned for Air Beat Magazine in 2008, and we’d like to invite you to participate. The first issue of the year will be focused on aviation safety initiatives, followed by women in airborne law enforcement, thermal imagery, Canadian police aviation, technology and firefighting operations. If you’d like to contribute to any of these editions, please contact Editorial Director Lisa Wright at airbeat@alea.org for dates and guidelines. We are always looking for authors and photographers who understand that airborne law enforcement is a profession within a profession. [TOP] |
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Advertise in ALEA's E-Newsletter For rates and availability, contact: Jennifer Thornton Get Your Organization's News Online Send your press releases, company logos and photos to: Lisa Wright 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
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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. |
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The
Randall County (TX) Sheriff's Office will build a hangar near their sheriff's
office to house a helicopter belonging to the Texas Department of Public
Safety (DPS). The hangar is estimated to cost between $75,000 and $120,000
and will be paid for out of forfeited assets. Inmate labor will be utilized
to build the hangar, which then will be rented to DPS for between $750
and $1,000 a month. The money will go to the county. [
The 600th EC135 helicopter
built at Eurocopter’s German production facility was handed over to Mr.
Vojko Robnik, head of the Air Support Unit of the Slovenian Police and
representative of the Slovenian Ministry of the Interior, last month.
The helicopter will be operated by the flight squadron of the Slovenian
Police, who is entering a new era in mission responsibilities for border
surveillance. [
A police helicopter made
an emergency landing in Moscow, Russia last month after its engine had
failed and then caught on fire. The Ka-226 helicopter had been on a routine
patrol mission. “There were two crew members and two environmental police
officers aboard. No one was injured as a result of the incident,” Moscow
city interior department spokesman Yevgeny Gildeyev said.
[
The
City of Omaha (NE) approved the purchase of two new Bell Jet Rangers for $2.67
million in order to upgrade the Omaha Police Department (OPD) Aviation Unit's
flight capabilities. Omaha currently has six military surplus helicopters
in use, but two are kept mostly for parts. A recent OPD efficiency report
found that the city would benefit from a bigger helicopter budget and more
hours in the air. [
The
East Midlands (UK) Air Support Unit took delivery of an EC135 last month,
and it is hoped the integrated thermal imaging cameras and mapping systems
will enhance the work of the three police forces it supports, which is Leicestershire,
Warwickshire and Northamptonshire. [
France’s
Minister of the Interior, responsible for French National Police, said last
month that it was testing a surveillance drone that could one day be used
to monitor riots, demonstrations and criminal gangs. The three-foot prototype
drone is named ELSA, the French acronym for light surveillance aircraft, and
will be delivered in December. Current international aviation rules do not
allow unmanned drones to operate in civilian airspace unless they can “see
and avoid” other aircraft, which is not yet the case. 
Avalex
Technologies, a manufacturer of aerial surveillance mapping and video equipment,
was named to Inc. magazine’s list of the 5,000 fastest growing companies in
America last month. Avalex ranked No. 2,827 on the list with a three-year
sales growth of 118.4 percent.
The
Utah County Sheriff's Office in Provo, Utah recently sold two of its airplanes
in an effort to upgrade to something better and bring its fleet to two good
aircraft. Last month, the department received a donated 1974 Cessna 210 Centurion
from an anonymous local couple. Sheriff's Office Lt. Dave Bennett, who is
a pilot with the aviation unit, quoted the couple as saying, "We'd like to
donate this airplane to you with the stipulation that the money raised to
buy the airplane be turned around and put back into search and rescue."
The
Botswana Police Service, represented by Commissioner of Police Thebeyame
E. Tsimako, signed a contract last month for the purchase of three Eurocopter
AS350 B3 helicopters to serve the country’s newly formed Police Air Support
division. Two of the aircraft will be delivered in December 2008 and the remaining
one in August 2009.
The
Lakeland (FL) Police Aviation Unit, which was on the chopping block because
of mandated cuts from the state legislature, survived to become part of the
city's $596 million budget. Commissioners voted on September 17 for their
new budget, a two-percent increase over last year that reflects a combination
of compromises and allows commissioners to preserve popular public services
like aviation while still lowering taxes.
The
California Highway Patrol Metro Air Operations Unit accepted delivery of a
Eurocopter AS350 B2 last month. As one of eight CHP aviation units, the Metro
Air Operations Unit provides patrol and law enforcement support in the heavily
populated Los Angeles and Orange County basin. The new helicopter will augment
the current fleet of two Bell LongRanger IVs, one OH-58 and one Cessna T206H
airplane.
DART
Helicopter Services, a worldwide distributor and manufacturer of innovative
accessories for helicopters, has purchased the stock of Apical Industries,
Inc. Apical designs and manufactures emergency flotation and evacuation equipment
for helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
The
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Nigeria donated a helicopter to the FCT
Police Command to facilitate its war against crime. FCT Minister, Aliyu Modibbo,
handed over the keys to the Raven II helicopter to the Acting Inspector General
of the Police, Mike Okiro, at a ceremony last month.