Complementing Edmonton Police Service’s approach to community policing
A police helicopter complements community-based policing by helping to free up resources. It is a community-driven initiative, raised by the community now for a third time. Because a helicopter acts as a ‘resource multiplier’, it will allow us to respond to emergency situations or crimes in progress with increased effectiveness and efficiency.
Contributing to officer safety
A helicopter’s ability to respond quickly means it can relay vital information to officers before they even arrive on-scene. The airborne vantage point of the helicopter, combined with radio contact on the ground, contributes significantly to officer safety while searching for suspects, dealing with disturbances and conducting high-risk vehicle stops.
The ‘Night Sun’ searchlight and the infrared imaging system makes it easy to see suspects from the air, preventing them from lying in ambush of a pursuing officer. Based on experience in other jurisdictions, we anticipate this will increase apprehension rates.
Better serving the safety and security needs of Edmonton
Police helicopters increase apprehension rates, reduce crime rates and increase public safety by minimizing the dangers of police pursuits and assisting in ground searches for lost or missing persons. Decreased crime rates are produced in cities where police helicopters have been introduced. They also save lives. It is also a significant public safety tool during major disasters and other emergency incidents.
Helping to tackle some of the more pressing crime issues
There is no single tool that can provide complete solutions to all our community's pressing crime issues. However, a police helicopter contributes to the solution by responding more rapidly to crimes in progress, increasing apprehension rates, and acting as an added deterrent to criminal behaviour.
Complementing traditional policing tools
One of the best examples of the usefulness of police helicopters is in pursuits. Pursuits involving a police helicopter provide a safer alternative to traditional vehicle pursuits minimizing the risk of injury to the public and the police. Because of the helicopter’s rapid response time, it is very effective in intervening in all types of crimes in progress.