Gold Coast gets first police helicopter
Queensland police to use helicopter for six months
Heliwest, a helicopter company from Perth
Western Australia is providing the State of Queensland with a Bell
206 Long Ranger helicopter. The aircraft will be used on the Gold Coast,
patrolling the skies over Queensland
for the next six months and is fitted with the most modern surveillance
equipment including a camera with infra-red sensors. The crew will also have
the use of three sets of night vision goggles. The service begins on 7 November
2011 and the helicopter will be based at the Gold Coast Water Police
headquarters.
Photograph credit – The Sunday Mail, Brisbane
Recently Queensland
has experienced a spate of serious crimes and the state government decided that
they needed to provide a more visible police presence over the Gold Coast. This
is the first ever helicopter used by the Queensland
police.
Queensland has provided some
funds to pay for the service, with the remainder coming from local businesses
and community. Heliwest will provide the pilots whilst Queensland will be providing the police
officers flying in the aircraft.