SUNDAY STORY -- Chopper cops

Deepa Bharath

“Reports of suspicious activity at Heller Park,” said the tentative

voice over the police radio.

“Heller Park,” said Airborne Law Enforcement pilot K.C. Gleason as he

adjusted his helmet and microphone, taking a quick look at the global

positioning system that mapped out the area on a flat screen in front of

him.

“Ah, the one with the razor blades,” said Gleason, referring to

reports that somebody had been planting sharp objects on the park’s

playground equipment over the last few months.

“That’s on 16th Street,” he informed Officer Bruce Foster, who was

flying the police helicopter.

The chopper that was hovering over the passive waves lapping against

shores of Newport Beach suddenly accelerated and soared across town,

traversing what would be five miles on ground, in less than half a

minute.

Buildings, water, freeways and homes that looked like portions of an

architect’s miniature model seemed to pass in a blurry flash as the craft

responded to the call like a speeding bullet.

“There’s Heller Park,” Gleason said, pointing to a patch of green on

the ground below, peering into his binoculars, a special instrument that

is built for stability, even under turbulent conditions.

“We’re here way before the patrol cars,” the officer observed.

“We beat them again,” Gleason said with a laugh. (As it turned out the

“suspicious activity” in Heller Park was just a homeless person wandering

around.)

But this was not the first time the chopper beat the ground units.

It’s simple. The helicopter gets to the scene before an officer on ground

can jump into his car and buckle up.

The dark blue chopper has been flying the skies over Costa Mesa and

Newport Beach for the last 30 years. But it was not until 1996 that the

two cities joined hands and became one team, said Lt. Bob Oakley, who

commands the airborne bureau based in John Wayne Airport.

It used to cost the cities $2.3 million when they operated separately.

That was sliced down to $1.8 million when they became partners, Oakley

said.

“It’s a great example of how local government can join forces to

provide better service at a lower cost to its citizens,” he said.

The bureau currently operates with eight pilots, three mechanics and

three helicopters. It shares the hangar with the Orange County Sheriff’s

Department to further lower the cost. The officers also remain on call

for the city of Santa Ana, which pays them on a contract basis.

Costa Mesa and Newport Beach have a “full-fledged” partnership and

commitment to the program, says Oakley.

“We share all costs including that of the high-tech equipment we need

to operate,” he said. Out of the six officers who fly out of the base,

four are from Costa Mesa and two from Newport Beach.

The officers usually fly in pairs and work nine-hour shifts. Both

partners are pilots, but only one flies the helicopter, while the other

acts as the navigator and observer.

Last year airborne officers responded to 6,518 calls, 722 of which led

to arrests, according to Oakley.

What is the biggest advantage of airborne enforcement?

“Quick response,” says Oakley. “We get an excellent overview of the

crime scene. We can get there ahead of time and make sure officers on the

ground are warned of existing hazardous conditions.”

So, if a suspect at the scene of a crime has a gun or a weapon, or if

there is a big dog in a backyard, the guys above, who literally have a

bird’s-eye view, caution them about the perils that await them on the

ground.

That was exactly what Gleason and Foster hoped to do on a recent

afternoon when ground units were looking for a man who was reportedly

trying to force a woman into a white Ford Escort near a Costa Mesa home.

“There’s the suspect car,” said Gleason over the radio as the chopper

circled the area. “I can see the backyard and the sideyard. Can’t see our

suspect anywhere. And there’s no one in the car.”

The officers continued their airborne surveillance till police cars

with flashing lights arrived.

“OK, our job here’s done,” said Gleason, resting his binoculars on the

side.

“Once again we came all the way from North Newport to Costa Mesa,”

explained Gleason. “And still got here before the cars.

“We did our job by relaying the information that there was no suspect

around the house or lurking in the bushes -- someone that could be a

threat to the officers, neighbors or the public.”

Newport Beach especially poses a great challenge to ground units in

terms of topography -- the way it is laid out with its bays and channels.

“It could take an awfully long time for an officer in a car to drive

from the city’s east side to the west side,” Gleason said.

When they are not crisscrossing the skies over Costa Mesa and Newport

Beach responding to an array of calls from pursuits and assaults to

robberies and auto thefts, these officers are patrolling their

communities from above.

“We’re like a police car in the sky,” Gleason said.

When they are in no hurry, the pilot flies the chopper at an altitude

of 700 to 800 feet and at a speed of 50 mph. On calls they can fly at a

speed of more than 100 mph, if necessary.

As they flew across to Newport Beach, Gleason inspected several

parking lots, banks and residential areas.

“During our day patrol, we check out areas where there are lot of

homes because people might be out to work and that’s when a lot of

burglaries happen,” he said.

Flying over South Coast Plaza and Metro Pointe, Gleason said he was

looking at pedestrians and children.

“From up here I can look at the body language and see when it

changes,” he said. His instincts would probably have to be as sharp as

his vision.

“Many times, we see that the person we have for a suspect ends up in

jail. And that really feels good.”

The pilots’ next call was at a sandwich shop on Jamboree Road in

Newport Beach.

“Looks like we could have had a robbery there,” Gleason said.

The helicopter chopped steadily through the heavy, humid air as the

needle on the speedometer climbed to 140 mph. They circled over the shop

at least five times till a police car arrived.

“I can look at the back door to [the shop],” Gleason reported.

“There’s nobody there. Everything seems to be OK.”

There was no robber and it was probably a false alarm, he said.

But in real crime scenarios, the sight of a helicopter is

“psychologically demoralizing to the bad guy,” said Gleason.

In his 14 years as a helicopter pilot, Gleason says there have been a

few frustrating and even dangerous moments.

“Yeah, sometimes suspects look at us and start shooting,” he said. His

chopper got hit by a bullet once during a pursuit.

“But that was a total fluke,” he said. “It almost never happens. We

were able to land safely, though.”

In most cases, suspects concede defeat and that makes his job

worthwhile, Gleason said.

“They kind of automatically give up because they know they can’t get

away from us.”

And that, in essence, is the biggest thrill of being a police

helicopter pilot for people like Gleason.

He says he appreciates the fact that he is not in a position where he

watches helplessly as a criminal who ought be behind bars, escapes.

“That’s why I love doing what I do,” he said. “I’ve lost so many foot

chases on the ground. But when I’m flying, I know the bad guys don’t

stand a chance.”