The Palm Bay Police Department in Florida has become the first in the nation to put its officers in powered paragliders, the ultra-light flying machines usually associated with adventure sports, not police work.[Linda Richman] Police in powered paragliders: legitimate patrol strategy or excuse for cops to have fun on duty? Discuss. [/Linda Richman]
Police Chief Bill Berger says they are a way for the department to have a bird's eye view of the semi-rural city at minimal cost...
The gliders have the ability to fly at low altitudes and controlled, low speeds, which may be useful in search-and-rescue operations and some types of surveillance...
The pilot program has the blessing of the U.S. Justice Department, which encourages police departments in small and rural towns to experiment with low-cost ways to get in the air. According to the department, out of almost 19,000 law enforcement agencies in the nation, only about 300 of them have aviation assets.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Paraglide Patrol?
Officers in the Palm Bay, FL police department are patrolling their city in an innovative new way -- on powered paragliders:
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4 comments:
I am cranky, but this sounds like another case of "boys lovin their toys". What happens if they witness a crime, are they going to swoop down like Batman? I love reading grant apps - somehow most departments have a need for multiple night vision goggles and similar fancy toys.
This is truly the dumbest thing I have heard of in a long time.
I discussed this with a number of practioners on my own blog and at other discussion boards, and have not found one person who thinks it is a good idea.
I hope that the lucky program participants have pants fitted with small iron manhole covers similar to the metal plates that WWI pilots used to protect their bottoms while flying. This slow moving target will certainly attract ground fire--at least in the jurisdictions that I am familiar with.
I'm just grateful that for once something I said or wrote was not the target of Scooby's "that's the dummest thing" statement.
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