Merced Sun-Star
The Merced County Sheriff's Department may soon have another eye-in-the-sky aircraft searching for drug traffickers -- one that can also see in the dark.
The Board of Supervisors gave Sheriff Mark Pazin a unanimous thumbs-up Tuesday to move forward with the department's plans to buy a $400,000 helicopter equipped with infrared technology that will allow deputies to pursue criminals at night.
Pazin said the helicopter, a 2005 Robinson R44 Raven II, will be a "force multiplier" for the department, particularly because a healthy slice of the drug traffickers' activities -- such as transactions, manufacturing and lab waste dumping -- takes place at night.
"It will give us self-sufficiency and 24-7 service," Pazin said.
The helicopter also comes equipped with a 20 million candlepower spotlight that will "illuminate as big as a city block or get down to a pinpoint local," Pazin said.
The department is paying for the helicopter with $200,000 from the Fresno Methamphetamine Task Force. In addition, Pazin said the department is also selling one of its three fixed-wing airplanes to offset the cost of the helicopter.
Small and rural county funds from the state will also go toward the purchase. General fund dollars are not being used, Pazin said. The helicopter could be in the department's hands within the next two weeks.
The sale still hasn't been completed, however. Pazin said the helicopter still has to undergo several reviews to ensure that it's totally safe. He said the helicopter is being bought from an out-of-state company, but declined to name it, saying some terms of the sale still need to be determined.
The helicopter has around 500 hours of previous flight time on its engine. The sheriff's department has previously depended on helicopters from Stanislaus and Fresno counties, the California Highway Patrol and other agencies to help its operations.
"Whenever we had an incident where there was a pursuit, we found a marijuana garden, we had to locate a lost juvenile or an Alzheimer's patient, we had to rely on other allied agencies to help us," Pazin said.
Many of the county supervisors said they are looking forward to seeing the department's new green and gold whirlybird.
"You see all these other counties have this," said Supervisor John Pedrozo. "This is another tool to enhance our public safety."
The per-hour costs of operating the helicopter will be about $94, which is about what it cost the sheriff's department to fly its fixed-wing airplanes. The helicopter will be based at Castle Airport.
Reporter Victor A. Patton can be reached at (209) 385-2431 or vpatton@mercedsun-star.com.
