General aviation plays a vital role in the everyday operation of law enforcement throughout the United States.  These units are an advantageous supplement to the existing traditional ground units protecting our communities.  Providing a broader field of vision, airborne officers assist those on the ground with advanced alerts on upcoming dangers or possible opportunities that may otherwise go unseen.  Being airborne allows officers to monitor certain situations removed from danger and undetected by suspects.  By far the most important role of these aircraft for law enforcement is their coverage range.  Aircraft are a valuable tool for covering large distances quickly in comparison to traditional law enforcement ground units.  The use of aircraft allows law enforcement officers to respond to calls for assistance in a timely manner.

These aircraft perform a range of services from general operations, such as engaging in pursuits and responding to calls for service, to much more specialized operations, such as homeland security, emergency medical services (EMS), and firefighting missions.  According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in 2007 roughly 1 in every 5 large law enforcement agencies had a specialized aviation unit operating at least one fixed-wing plane or helicopter.  A total of 201 aviation units throughout the United States provided aerial law enforcement coverage in 46 states (Wyoming, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Idaho being the 4 states without aviation units) and the District of Columbia with at least one aviation unit covering the entire jurisdiction and  with 30 having at least one additional unit under either a city or county jurisdiction.

Figures provided in the report by the Department of Justice demonstrate that aircraft units allow law enforcement agencies in the United States to expand the scope of their duties.  According to the report, 9 out of 10 units responded to calls for service or direct assistance to ground units.  Of the 201 units across the United States, nearly half issued traffic enforcement citations or made DUI arrests.  79% of units reported being involved in counterterrorism operations, such as conducting critical facility checks on buildings, ports, public utilities, oil refineries, bridges, airports, and monuments.  Other activities these 201 units reported being involved with included surveillance (85%), counternarcotics (89%), stolen vehicle recovery (72%), just to name a few.  The extensive range of activities these units are called upon to assist with demonstrates how essential general aviation aircraft are to everyday law enforcement operations.  To read the report by the U.S. Department of Justice in full,  click here .