Edmonton's eye in the sky puts spotlight on personal safety

Edmonton police put its finest on display for west-end residents yesterday.

The Air-1 helicopter, major crimes forensics van and a dog car were on display at the Westmount Community League at 129 Street and 109 Avenue.

They were the hook to draw in residents to learn about personal safety.

But the cop units were the stars of the show.

"You never get a chance to get up close to Air-1," said Const. Tricia Gagne.

Officers were there along with the units to explain the nuances of their special jobs.

"I think sometimes the uniform is quite the barrier," said Gagne. "(This event) is more personal."

Kids lined up to climb aboard Air-1, the Edmonton Police Service's eye in the sky.

It's equipped with an infrared camera that can shoot colour video and a super-bright spotlight.

It's often seen and heard buzzing around the city.

It can usually respond to a call within 90 seconds, said pilot and former patrol officer Const. Murray Maschmeyer.

"Overwhelmingly, it's an invaluable tool," he said.

The chopper has helped chase 360 criminals on the run since it started service eight years ago, he said.

But it also helps ground officers as they work the field.

The on-board camera can be used to get pictures of suspects or send video and heat images to mobile command units during serious crime or fire incidents, Maschmeyer said.

The crowd over in the forensics van wondered how close the real thing is to the crime show CSI.

Const. Joe Spear said it's less about fancy technology than good old-fashioned finger printing.

"It's been around for 1,000 years, but there's nothing better," he said as he showed kids a set of prints.

RICHARD.LIEBRECHT@SUNMEDIA.CA