Police's helicopter snares 150 crooks

DERBYSHIRE’S police helicopter has helped nab and put behind bars 150 crooks this year, the force has revealed.

Thanks to the chopper’s hi-tech heat-seeking equipment, officers have found criminals hidden in wheelie bins and eco-warriors up trees – all trying to escape the clutches of police.

And now, senior officers say the helicopter has become one of the force’s most potent weapons.

The chopper has been scrambled for 1,292 incidents this year – flying for a total of 411 hours. As well as helping to snare criminals, the aircraft  located 31 vulnerable, missing people and airlifted three casualties to hospital.

Chief Superintendent Lynn Harris, who heads Derbyshire police’s operations division, said the aircraft was becoming indispensable.

It cost £221,940 to run this year and also helped recover stolen cars and police large-scale events.

Supt Harris said: “The helicopter is a fantastic resource to us and it is great value for money. The skill of the staff and pilots in the unit are absolutely second to none.

“The aircraft has proven to be a vital tool. It helps to guide officers on the ground  and is also used to great effect in the pursuit of vehicles.”

When the unit was formed in 1998, it used a second-hand machine. It later bought a new £3.1m Eurocopter 135 in 2004  – fitted with the latest high-powered cameras and thermal-imaging equipment – and this is shared by Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

The cost of running the helicopter is met by the police authorities in both counties but it generates additional cash when it is hired out to the Lincolnshire force.

One of the single biggest incidents the helicopter was used at this year was the trouble-hit BNP Red, White and Blue festival, in Denby, which ran for two days  in August.

During the event, anti-BNP protesters clashed with police and the helicopter helped officers on the ground identify up to 34 people, who were arrested during violent scenes.

The benefits of the helicopter were also revealed in a recent case dealt with by Derby Crown Court.

Neil Pickford, 25, was jailed for 16 months for racing through Ripley town centre at speeds of over 55mph, mounting pavements, hitting cars and crashing into an ambulance.

Footage of the incident was filmed from the helicopter, which showed Pickford driving his green Ford Fiesta along pavements in the town, near to a school.

The aircraft tracked Pickford until he came to a stop and was arrested by officers.

During the past 12 months, it was also used to carry out 166 missing person searches – which, in many cases, do not locate the  person but rule an area out of the search.

The helicopter crew also  located 44 stolen vehicles and 389 suspects.