Aviation Unit
Initially formed in 2013 , the Aviation Unit is a collateral duty workgroup comprised of a program manager , two team leaders , two assistant team leaders , and 14 officers . The unit operates Unmanned Aircraft Systems ( UAS ) in support of the department ’ s mission . Each officer on the team attends training once a month . The members of the Aviation Unit are also FAA Part 107 certificate holders , which qualifies them as commercial UAS pilots . In addition to the law enforcement missions completed by the Aviation Unit , they also assist the city with promotional videography and photography assignments as requested .
The benefit provided to the City of Arlington by the Aviation Unit has dramatically increased since 2013 , and this was the best year the Aviation Unit has had so far . The unit completed 292 missions , which is nearly a 34 % increase over the 218 missions from last year . The Aviation Unit assisted on 159 apprehensions , which represents
nearly a 141 % increase over the prior year . This was accomplished over a total of 473 flight hours . The unit also expanded the number and capabilities of the aircraft at their disposal . This list now includes the Mavic Enterprise , Matrice 210 , Mavic Mini , and Autel EVO II Dual aircraft . Uniformed officers in the Aviation Unit carry aircraft with them daily and deploy the aircraft during emergencies .
Flight Hours 473.29 Apprehension Assists 159 Launches / Landings 580 Missions 292 Equipment Cost Per Hour $ 42 Equipment Cost Per Apprehension $ 125
On the first day of 2020 , the Aviation Unit was called to help locate two suspects who fled from a traffic stop involving a felony offense . The suspects tried to hide from officers and a perimeter was quickly formed . The UAS pilot located the two suspects hiding in a small creek of cold water . Once located , the pilot coordinated with responding officers who contacted the suspects . It was soon evident the suspects were experiencing hypothermia due to them hiding in the water in low temperatures . Officers rescued the suspects and doctors later determined their body temperature was in the low 80s . Because of the use of the UAS and the heroism of the responding officers , both suspects survived . In November , the Aviation Unit flew to support rescue and disaster recovery efforts for the tornado that occurred in central Arlington . The Aviation Unit was able to stream footage from the active rescue sites directly to the Emergency Operations Center . The unit returned the following day to plot the path of the tornado from the air . The Aviation Unit also supports the public safety response during events in the Entertainment District . This year that support included numerous NFL games , NCAA events , the National Finals Rodeo , and the World Series .
Arlington , Texas Police Department |
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