In
1968, Fort Worth became the first city in Texas to use a helicopter
in law enforcement. The first helicopter was a Bell 47G5 leased
from Bell Helicopter on a six month trial basis. Two civilian pilots
that had been ferrying helicopters from Bell to California for shipment
to Vietnam came with the aircraft.
In
1972, with the use of federal funds, a private donation, city funds,
and the 47G5 as a trade-in, two new Bell 47G4A helicopters were
acquired. These new helicopters were equipped with nightsun lights,
a 3-channel police radio, a siren, and a PA system.
The
two Bell 47G4A helicopters were traded in 1976 for a Bell Jetranger
206B, and in 1980, a new Jetranger was purchased. In 1985, a Forward
Looking Infrared (FLIR) system and stabilized binoculars were purchased
for the helicopter. The binoculars allows the flight officer to
read a moving license plate from approximately 300 feet. The aircraft
has a top speed of 140 mph.
In
1995, a new FLIR system was purchased with funds from the Crime
Control and Prevention District. This system allows the helicopter
observer to "see" persons through cover by the detection
of body heat.
In
May, 2004, the Fort Worth Police Department replaced an older helicopter
with a new Bell 206 BIII. Some of the new equipment on the helicopter
includes a Wescam thermal imager/tv camera; new DV recorder, computer
with GPS mapping; LoJack receiver, Garmin GPS/comm for ATC use;
and updated 800 mhz radio.
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