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History of Air Support
The Pasadena Police Department created a Helicopter Section
in 1969. Since that historic day, the department has established
itself as a leader in the law enforcement and aviation community. The
following is an excerpt from retired Pasadena Police Chief Robert McGowan
discussing the origin of the helicopter section. This was printed in * “The
POLICE CHIEF” magazine in February 1978.
It was 10 years ago when Chief Robert McGowan – then a lieutenant – was
assigned to a project team to develop a broad-based re-organizational plan
for the Pasadena Police Department.
The ultimate recommendations of the team called for major policy changes,
alterations in deployment of personnel, extensive modification and upgrading
of systems….and the addition of a helicopter patrol section.
When McGowan was appointed chief in November 1968 and moved his department
towards helicopters as a means of augmenting regular patrols, there was very
little hard information available on which to base such an operation. In
fact, Pasadena entered the aerial patrol field during its infancy, gaining
experience as the state-of-the-art itself was maturing.
Although the department’s helicopter section today is a model program,
getting it there was hardly a Cinderella story, according to McGowan.
We had hoped our program would be a “rags to riches” story, that our results
would come immediately and that our ships would be swathed in accolades. It
wasn’t to be, however.
We had political considerations to deal with, a wary public to win over,
months of time-consuming litigation with which to cope, and a logistical
nightmare that my helicopter crews and I shudder over.
“Essentially,” McGowan declared, “we experienced the same kinds of
frustrations and obstacles that other departments have faced at one time or
another with a new program.
“I’m sure there are chiefs today going through what we went through, and
there will be chiefs tomorrow in the same boat somewhere.”
“Law enforcement’s road never has been paved with yellow bricks; but when
you finally come up with something that works, it all seems worth it.”
Success has come to Pasadena’s helicopter section. It remains one of the
earliest members of the Airborne Law Enforcement Association; its pilots and
observers repeatedly are called upon to lecture on the art of aerial police
patrols and tactics; dozens of other police agencies have used the Pasadena
program as a model for their own airborne units; and current teaching
manuals about helicopters were authored wholly or in part by Pasadena
officers.
*Excerpts reprinted by permission of IACP "The Police Chief"
Magazine
(Charles Higginbothom)
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