Ripon, California: Police Prepare Parachute Aircraft To Combat Crime - Aviation Unit Also Assists With Water Rescues

Ripon Police Department

RIPON, Calif. (KCRA) -- Ripon Police will look to the sky in an effort to fight crime. 

The police aviation unit will use a powered parachute to patrol from above, responding to a recent spike in daylight thefts and burglaries, the Ripon Police Department said on Friday.

Police will also monitor areas over the Stanislaus River as people begin to flock to riverside recreational areas during warmer temperatures.

Since the Ripon Police Department Aviation Unit was formed in 2009, it has assisted with suspect captures, river rescues, missing person searches, accident investigations, homicide investigations, aerial crime scene photography and marijuana grow suppression.

The aircraft, which reaches altitudes of about 10,000 feet, operates best for surveillance at about 2,000 feet.

The department said that the aircraft is economical and has been supplied to police at no cost.

Source:  http://www.kcra.com