A report into flight operations commissioned a year ago by Winnipeg Police was released on Friday, July 19, 2019.
MNP LLP was hired in July 2018 to evaluate the impact Air-1 has had in supporting the detection of crimes and apprehension of suspects. As part of the scope of the
23 conclusions were reached in the report but it is clear that most residents and officers feel that Air-1 is enhancing safety in the city. Data collected since 2014 show a greater number of arrests are made when AIR-1 is involved in an incident.
- 74% of officers believe that Air-1 should be used more.
- 75% of officers feel that Air-1 increased their safety and reduced risk.
- 70% of those surveyed feel that Air-1 provides a safer option for vehicle pursuits.
The review included opinion surveys from officers, stakeholders and the general public.
The review concludes that the current operation model of Air-1 is a good use of police funds due to the fact the helicopter is able to respond to incidents more quickly than ground units, which allows for faster intelligence gathering as well as safer tracking of suspects.
Police say that they will continue to review the findings in the report and develop an action plan while determining the cost implications.
