Police helicopter soon come
Posted Wed, Feb 3rd 2010, 18:09(Grand Cayman - CITN) -
The long arm of the law in the Cayman Islands will soon extend thousands of feet in the air and be able to cover vast areas of land and sea in a matter of minutes - thanks to the imminent arrival of the RCIPS helicopter.
Newly appointed RCIPS Air Operations Manager, Steve Fitzgerald, confirmed that the helicopter is due to arrive on Grand Cayman within a matter of weeks, having undergone operational acceptance testing in Louisiana last week.
Originally the RCIPS had stated that it anticipated the arrival by the end of January, however a police spokesperson says “the devastation in Haiti and the subsequent restrictions placed on Haitian air space led the RCIPS to review its flight plans and delivery schedule.”
Mr. Fitzgerald says the route has given a few challenges with fuel availability and the necessary priorities surrounding Haiti that we could not have envisaged. “However, in gaining the necessary permissions with the assistance of the Chief Immigration Officer, I am sure we are able to resolve this and I can confidently say that the helicopter will be with us in two or three weeks. All the project team are working hard to achieve this timescale”
The RCIPS Air Operations Unit is making plans for the arrival of the aircraft and, as soon as it lands, training for the staff who will operate it will commence.
The Unit is based at the RCIPS Air Operations offices at the Owen Roberts International Airport.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. David Baines, has applied for the necessary Police Air Operations Certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority. Mr. Baines says “Having a dedicated air resource which can assist with searches, operations and tracking offenders will make a huge difference to the operational capacity of the RCIPS to protect our borders.”
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A police spokesperson says “The EC135 is fitted with FLIR (forward looking infra red) cameras and broadcast quality daylight cameras, all with recording facility for evidence.”
Mr. Fitzgerald, a former Police Inspector who managed a UK air support unit is well acquainted with the equipment. “I am sure that the benefits of this technology will soon become evident, but we do need to complete the training first to ensure the crew is fully able to realise those benefits.”
A police spokesperson says the helicopter has been fitted with aviation police radios for use into the Cayman Islands public radio system, and carries a ‘Nightsun’ light capable of lighting up the area of a football field.
“The ‘Skyshout’ public address system is capable of alerting the public on the ground, whether it be to lookout for a missing person, an offender, or passing other information in a critical incident.”
The helicopter is also fitted with a video downlink system allowing the camera images to be relayed to other officers or commanders, giving the benefit of real time images to those on the ground.
A police spokesperson added “The provision of maintenance and piloting for the long term use of the helicopter within the Cayman Islands continue to be under review and negotiation. However, the RCIPS has made interim arrangements to ensure that this much needed operational resource is not delayed any further on commercial grounds, and the public can expect to see the aircraft in the air soon.”
News 27 will keep you informed when the helicopter arrives.
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