new patrol helicopter takes flight

frequent flyers

Twice the power. Twice the flight time. Twice the crime-fighting ability.

That’s how the numbers stack up for the new YRP helicopter, Air2, which took to the skies on its maiden flight in March of 2023.

It’s a winning equation for citizens across York Region, where the helicopter plays a vital role in supporting officers responding to more than 1,000 calls for service each year.

Members working in the Air Support Unit – which also manages the deployment of remotely-piloted aircraft – played a hand in more than 260 arrests and assisted arrests in 2023.

In 133 of those instances, an officer working in the helicopter safely guided ground units directly to suspects. With the eye in the sky, officers can safely navigate obstacles like fences, walls, vehicles and trees with better knowledge of what awaits them on the other side.

“The fact of the matter is you can do a lot more with a helicopter than you can with boots on the ground,” said Staff Sergeant Jeremy Beatty, who served as the unit’s supervisor in 2023.

Thanks to the capabilities of the new helicopter, an Airbus H125, York Regional Police can accomplish even more from the safety of the skies.

The new helicopter includes improved thermal-imaging video systems, higher-intensity spotlights and a more effective public address system.

The helicopter was a key component in the operational plan behind several auto-theft and carjacking enforcement efforts throughout the year. It allows officers to track dangerous and armed suspects from a distance, much safer than conducting pursuits on the ground.

The new chopper can fly for 4.5 hours at a time – a vast increase from the 2.5-hour running time on the previous, 21-year-old model, a Eurocopter EC120 that the police service first launched in 2002. During lengthy, high-priority calls, such as searches for missing people, the improved endurance is crucial to providing positive results.

To find missing people or to provide support on any call for service, one of six tactical flight officers in Air Support works from the aircraft’s left seat. There, the officer views the region through a 17-inch ultra-high-resolution display—an upgrade from the 11-inch screen in the previous helicopter.

“the fact of the matter is you can do a lot more with a helicopter than you can do with boots on the ground.”

staff sergeant jeremy beatty

With augmented reality features, the officer has the ability to overlay street maps onto the screen’s display and relay detailed information about locations to officers hundreds of feet below.

In 2023, the Air Support Unit helped locate 15 missing and vulnerable people. Providing assistance on those calls is a duty that the team takes seriously.

“A missing person returned to their family isn’t just a number to us,” Staff Sergeant Beatty said. “It has a huge impact on that family, their loved ones, friends and neighbours and the community as a whole.”