The Regina Police Service has officially launched its Aerial Support Unit (ASU) to patrol the city from the sky.
While Thursday marked the official take-off of the project, the aircraft has actually been in use for several months.
Since its first call on Jan. 20, the ASU has assisted on nearly 500 police cases.
“With a unique vantage point, the Aerial Support Unit is able to address crimes in progress by quickly locating suspects and directing our patrol units to make arrests,” said Deputy Chief Dean Rae. “When we can be more efficient in our work, we are able to direct resources to more calls for service and investigations throughout our city.”
Between Jan. 20 and March 20, 2023, the unit has assisted in 97 arrests made, 127 charges laid, 34 warrants executed and 14 recovered stolen vehicles.
The ASU is made up of six police officers, two pilots and four tactical flight officers.
The pilots are trained RPS members with commercial pilot licenses. The tactical flight officers are responsible for monitoring the police radio and camera technology and communicating with police units on the ground.
The aircraft used by the ASU is a 2005 Cessna 182T outfitted with a wide-angle infrared camera. The aircraft, the camera and additional tools and technology were purchased through a partnership with Provincial Civil Forfeiture and SGI.
The cost of the airplane and instruments was said to be about $1.2 million.