Monday, November 12, 2007

Helicopters over Woodstock?

No, this is not the title of a new song… Tonight’s Coffee with the Chief at the Woodstock Police station featured an interesting presentation by Woodstock resident Mike Bitton, who is a Winthrop Harbor police officer and a volunteer member of the Law Enforcement Aviation Coalition (LEAC).

LEAC operates helicopters available to police departments for searches, chases and other official duties. It was established in 2003 and is not a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with nearly 50 volunteer members. The first helicopter was loaned to LEAC by a businessman who believed in the effort; LEAC now gets its helicopters from the U.S. Department of Defense. Helicopters are loaned to LEAC, which then must refurbish and equip them. LEAC provides services to any law enforcement agency (when operating funds are available) and does so without charge.

Winnebago County has donated $100,000 each year in two consecutive years. McHenry County? Zero. Lake County? Zero. Woodstock? Zero. Let’s hope McHenry County Sheriff’s Department and law enforcement agencies in McHenry County find some way to put a donation into their budgets. Even $500-1,000/department would go a long way toward the $850,000/year operating budget of LEAC.

Helicopter operations are conducted by law enforcement officers who are volunteers. At the present time there are six highly-qualified pilots and 30 flight crew members, who operate infrared spotting equipment, radios, and a 30,000,000-candlepower spotlight called a NightSun. This piece of equipment alone costs $40,000.

Mike showed a video of a search for two suspects who were chased by officers and a canine team on the ground. Through the Forward-Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) goggles the non-pilot officer in the helicopter could find the suspects on the ground and direct ground officers in a safe approach that resulted in apprehension.

For information on LEAC, visit www.AirSupport.org

Chief Bob Lowen gave the large audience an update on police activity in Woodstock, including humor about traffic stops involving speeders driving on suspended licenses. Wouldn’t you think a driver without a valid license would obey laws?

Ofc. Josh Fourdyce may be the featured speaker at the December 11th Coffee with the Chief. Ofc. Fourdyce is the School Resource Officer at Woodstock High School. Any citizen is welcome. If you don’t have a driver’s license, catch a ride with your neighbor.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe Woodstock and the sheriffs office do not want to waste money just so you can call helicopters in to chase joggers on the street!

Anonymous said...

The AIR-ONE search & rescue helicopters do not "chase joggers". Instead, we find the lost or missing person (children and adults), catch the fleeing felon, etceteras. We do this through hundreds of hours of training and mission time, all on our own personal time.
When it is your loved one who has gone missing, we hope to be available to help.
Happy Holidays!

Anonymous said...

Fine. Gus would have you chasing joggers though I'm afraid.