About the Helicopter
It is a known fact that it takes the equivalent of 454 officer hours to search an area that a helicopter can do in 12 minutes.
- Cleveland Police have a Eurocopter EC135 Helicopter
- It is based at Durham Tees Valley airport
- Equipped with thermal imaging cameras
Performed Operations
The helicopter is the eye in the sky and supports many areas of policing:
- It can provide crucial video footage which is vital in directing officers and other emergency services during major incidents
- This technology also enables the police to capture evidence effectively and safely, in particular around vehicle pursuits, which means potentially dangerous pursuits can be reduced and evidence obtained that convicts offenders.
- The helicopter may also be called on to transport people with life threatening injuries to hospital, when the air ambulance is unavailable.
The video below shows footage taken by the helicopter to help support officers chasing a criminal.
