NCJ Number
155337
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 68 Issue: 2 Dated: (April-June 1995) Pages: 107-116
Date Published
1995
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article considers the role of helicopters and aircraft in the Police Service of Great Britain and examines their perceived future development.
Abstract
The first attempted use of air support by British police occurred when the Metropolitan Police borrowed an airship from the Air Ministry to monitor traffic during the country's premier horse race. The department also used an early airplane for traffic and crowd control, but this effort was abandoned after several years due to poor visibility from the aircraft and an inability to operate during poor weather conditions. Police use of air support is not a new concept either in Europe or in the U.S. In 1970, 61 law enforcement agencies in the U.S. used a total of 188 aircraft; by 1990, those figures had risen to 335 and 1,110, respectively. In the U.K., there are currently 21 air support units operating both helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Prior to the Police Act 1964, local chief constables often abused power and granted only limited accountability; one way a police chief could demonstrate his perception of policing innovations was through well-publicized air support. Since passage of the Act, and the introduction of increased accountability, chief constables are limited in their ability to introduce air support unless their particular policing requirements justify it.