FEB. 2025. Blues Vol 41 No.2

AIRBORNEAVIATIONAROUND

AIRBORNEAVIATIONAROUND THE COUNTRYBELL HELICOPTERSBell introduces the new "Police Aviation Unit Start-Up Consulting" for police agencies.In 1948, the world’s first policehelicopter, the Bell HelicopterModel 47D, arrived at the NewYork City Police Department. Itwould change policing. Fast forwardto today, and public safetyhelicopters are widely known asone of policing’s greatest forcemultipliers. It’s not about addingmore people – it’s about empoweringthe existing force withinnovative technology to maximizetheir impact.When matched with innovativehelicopter technology andspecialized mission equipment,today’s police helicopter crewscan respond quicker, establishperimeters faster, search largerareas, and work with all parts ofthe force – more than perhapsany other function in policing.The result is more lives saved,more apprehensions, and greateroverall officer safety. The questionis – where do you start?Through listening to our customers,Bell noted that therewere various police units interestedin launching an aviationunit, but didn’t know where tostart. Because of this, Bell officiallylaunched the ‘New PoliceAviation Unit Start-Up Consulting’option, which is a unique offeringthat is focused not on just thetechnology innovation side of policeaviation, but the operationaldevelopmental side as well.As the only American-madecompany that offers a range offive police helicopters options intotal - from single engine patrolfocused helicopters to twinengine helicopters capable ofcarrying 14 fully equipped tacticalpolice officers, Bell has emergedas a global leader in the pursuitof high-intensity airborne publicsafety aviation.Our New Police Aviation UnitStart-Up Consulting option includestwo distinct focuses. Firstis the potential “new start-up”police aviation unit. Bell utilizesa specialized cadre of segmentmanagers that come from the policeand police aviation industry.Former police aviation operators,managers and technicians thatare in place to directly assist theoperational development of thenew start-up or existing operatingalike. This consultant-basedservice is free of charge to anypolice agency. The second pointuniquely centers around theworld’s newest police helicopter,the Bell 505, where we can physicallydemonstrate the new startuppotential in the jurisdictionitself. Collectively this productand development stems directlyfrom customer demand anddirect referral.SO WHY HELICOPTERS?At the time of this interview,Bell is working with no less than17 agencies globally that arein process of establishing newpolice aviation units. This level ofnew start-ups is perhaps unprecedentedas the number of existingpolice aviation units has typicallybeen finite for the last 20+years. We attribute this in partto the introduction of the world’snewest police helicopter, theBell 505, and the commitment tosupporting the new operationalstartups with our Key SegmentMangers.Not only is airborne publicsafety now expanding again, butpublic safety is also enhanced.Helicopters might seem complicated,but they offer big advantages.Perhaps most obvious:the aerial perspective they provide.On the ground, an officermight see only a couple of sidesof a building. But from the air,the crew can see every side, theroof, and even behind fences oraround corners. One study found80 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25

NYPD'S FIRST HELICOPTER IN 1948 WAS A BELL 47D-1that from a helicopter, an officercan see 30 times more than theycan on the ground. Another studyshowed helicopters can effectivelycover 7.6 miles, while an officerwalking around can only cover0.2 square miles.The view from the air mostdirectly contributes to the forcemultiplier effect. Helicopters alsocover many law enforcementmissions: How does this aerialadvantage lead to better policing?Here are some importantfactors:RESPONSE TIME – Helicoptersnot only provide a birds-eye view,but also the ability to respond,“as the bird flies.” Generally, it’sa straight-line direct responseversus a more complex groundbasedapproach. In many cases,the comparison is drastic. Thepolice air crew is often first onthe scene. This offers enhancedsituational awareness for allresponders and helps decreaseresponse time averages.PATROL PRESENCE – While anofficer’s presence on the groundis effective within a limited area,typically just a couple of streets,the helicopter can oversee amuch larger radius, often severalmiles. Additionally, with itsdistinctive noise and illuminatingsearchlight, the show of forcepresence is again multiplied. Liveimages of ground-based activityseen from the air can be downlinkedto ground commandersand command centers.PURSUITS –Departments thatuse police helicopters report areduction in both the durationand total number of pursuits.One study found when subjectsrealized they were under aerialsurveillance, they stoppedand surrendered. Even when thesubject does not stop, the policehelicopter has the advantage ofclosely monitoring and reportingpursuit activity and can betterdirect ground units. Often, thisleads to a halt of ground-basedpursuits while the helicopterstays overhead, later directingground units to final destinations.Police helicopters not only makepursuits safer, but they also leadto a higher percentage of potentialarrests.SPECIAL TEAMS – The effectivenessof any specialty teamwithin policing is force multipliedwhen rapidly deployed. For SWATand K-9 handlers, this typicallyinvolves tactical insertion, suchas FAST roping or rappelling fromhelicopters to areas inaccessibleby ground, like rooftops orconfined spaces. Sometimes, it’srapid egress from the landed helicopterthat expedites point-topointmovement. For the HAZMATteam, bomb tech, crime sceneinvestigator, or other specialThe BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 81