Saturday, March 21, 2015

Redlands Air Support Unit, volunteers aid police from above

Senior Tactical Officer Wayne Reid, left, chats with pilot Carl Rossi next to the Redlands Police Department’s Air Support Unit — a 1967 Cessna 172.




REDLANDS >> The view of the city from 1,000 feet up can be very revealing.

Whether it’s a burglary, a pursuit or drug-related activity — the Redlands Air Support Unit serves as the Police Department’s eyes from above.

“The times that we can be available and we are on scene for a call that can help the community, I think it’s a lot easier than trying to get a hold of the (sheriff’s) helicopter that might be in the High Desert or out in Ontario,” said Redlands police Officer Wayne Reid, senior tactical flight officer.

Since the city purchased the 1967 Cessna 172, known as Redhawk1, in 2007, it has logged more than 4,320 hours of flight time.

Drug asset seizure money funded the purchase of the plane and continues to keep the program running.

The unit’s shift is Tuesday through Saturday. The plane is housed at the Redlands Municipal Airport.

The plane can be on scene anywhere in the city within six minutes and if the plane is already in the air, it can be on scene in less than one minute, Reid said.

The plane is used to help patrol the city and canyon areas, assisting ground units and providing surveillance.

The plane is equipped with a camera, laptop, Lojack locator and a 180-horse powered engine. It also has technology aboard that offers aid in stabilization at slower speeds.

“A normal 172 wouldn’t come with these things,” Ward said. “At slower speeds the airplane is more susceptible to stalling and not performing as well as it should at slow speeds. We can get super slow and things will float like a bee. It’s awesome for us. That’s all we do is fly slow.”

The plane, which undergoes annual maintenance, must comply with Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

There are 23 pilots and 6 co-pilots who volunteer for the unit.

Reid, a lifelong Redlands resident who has been flying since he was a kid, is the only paid employee in the unit.

Reid, whose father is a pilot in the program, has been involved since the program’s inception, but was assigned full time to the unit two years ago.

By the end of 2013, volunteers logged 17,177 hours, which city officials estimate has saved the city about $1 million.

Carl Rossi, a physician from Redlands who works in San Diego, volunteered for the program in 2007. He has been flying since 1987.

“Even though I fly a couple hundred hours a year just doing other things, I thought this is a nice way to do something different,” he said.

Volunteers are required to attend quarterly safety meetings, volunteer at least five hours per month and maintain a current pilot’s license and medical certificate. They also must adhere to the unit’s rules and regulations, as well as written or verbal orders, standard operating procedures and the Redlands Police Department policy manual.

“There are a lot of cities that could benefit from this type of program,” Rossi said. “There’s a lot you can do with an airplane. It’s like having several police cars. Helicopters, they’re expensive and there are not nearly as many pilots qualified to fly as a fixed-wing aircraft.”

BY THE NUMBERS

2014 statistics for the Redlands Air Support Unit

• 1351 calls for service

• 233 first on scene for non-air support unit generated

• 27 misdemeanor arrests

• 27 Lojack hits with 16 recoveries. Total value: About $134,000

• Assisted 72 felony arrests

• Assisted 21 narcotics cases, leading to $1.7 million in narcotic seizures and $1.2 million in seized money

• 6 vehicle pursuits, 15 foot pursuits

• 500 hours flown — 400 patrol, 100 surveillance

• Assisted surrounding agencies more than 50 times, totaling more than 70 hours of flight time

Source: City of Redlands

Story and photos:  http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com

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