Winnipeg police on Thursday released a video highlighting the effective use of Air 1, their crime-fighting helicopter that’s been in the skies since last February.
As part of the flight operations report (PDF), police say the chopper has resulted in 127 ground arrests and has been dispatched 652 times to respond to 1,972 incidents
Besides assisting with traffic stops, break and enters, robberies and assault incidents, Air 1 was used in 2011 to assess the impacts of flooding along the Red and Assiniboine rivers. It also helped outside agencies, such as the RCMP, Manitoba Search and Rescue, the Province of Manitoba Emergency Measures and the Manitoba Finance Special Investigations Unit.
Weather permitting, Air 1 can fly up to 1,000 hours per year.
