Northwood News ♦ December 2001

Montgomery County Public Safety Helicopters

By Charles Pritchard

The Northwood-Four Corners Civic Association joined with other eastern downcounty civic associations (the Eastern Gateway Coalition and the Long Branch Neighborhood Initiatives) in officially supporting a proposal by two Montgomery County police officers to establish a public safety helicopter unit within the Montgomery County Police Department.  We understand that the Allied Civic Group, an umbrella civic association to which we belong, also supports this proposal.  We have also requested that the Civic Federation of Montgomery County also support this proposal.  Our county is one of the few major jurisdictions in the National Capital region that lacks such a unit.  Our only helicopter service is provided sporadically by the Maryland State Police helicopter squadron (six units for the entire state), which confines most of its activity to medical evacuation.  Although the state unit does a good job within its mission, it does not provide timely or adequate support of our own police force.

One of the significant roles that the proposed unit would play is in reducing the hazards of high-speed road and highway pursuit of fleeing automobiles.  Nearly half of such pursuits result in a crash with loss of life or injury to the evaders, the pursuing police units or innocent bystanders.  Many of these crashes also result in heavy legal litigation.  Through state-of-the-art equipment such as forward scanning infrared observation (FLIR), video down links and improved command and control with the police dispatch and emergency management centers, the airborne units would provide rapid back up for foot and auto patrols, assist in disaster control, and support our fire department, hazardous material team and bomb squad in assisting in evacuation and traffic control.  The unit could also provide search for lost or injured persons in remote areas such as county parks and environmental enforcement against illegal dumping.

Our police department has a potential cadre of six officers who are officially rated and insured helicopter pilots, which would greatly reduce recruitment and training costs.  The helicopters they propose to use are designed for police work and feature quiet engines.  The officers call for three aircraft, which would allow for continuous on-call service by two units and periodic maintenance of the third unit, which would rotate though the maintenance cycle.

Opponents of the proposal have cited the cost of the project ($1.3 million per unit) plus operating costs during a period of budgetary constraint.  One possible source of financing could be the federal government, which recently agreed to improve the technology of the D.C. police department as an adjunct to Homeland Defense against terrorism.  Montgomery County is home to several important U.S. government facilities.  We will contact both the County Executive and the Council and request consideration of this proposal.

[Note:  This article was truncated in the printed newsletter.]   ■