Airborne Law Enforcement may expand in region (Suffolk County)

[helicopper 1,050]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/suffolk_county_tests_traffic_enforcement_y1mbPTPvvcFUJBqAxke2YL

RIVERHEAD, N.Y.— It’s not enough to check your rear view mirror for a police cruiser.

Traffic enforcment in New York’s Suffolk County may soon take to the air.

The county sheriff’s office is testing the use of a small plane to spot bad drivers.

But Suffolk County has applied to the federal government for funding for its own plane.

The Suffolk County PD already operate helicopters (four of them) but since the Sheriff's Office took over highway patrol, they're looking at their own assets.

The airplane is a light sport aircraft and a federal pilot program is underway to research their efficacy in law enforcement operations.

[FFEMTPD72 2]

Suffolk is an excellent and proactive organization. I had the pleasure of occasionally working with them when I went to University in Long Island. Hopefully the grant goes through and they are able to fund the airplane.

[ac316scu 31]

The first day they used the plane they wrote 88 tickets in 3 hrs. Driving on the LIE almost everyday I can personally say that it needs more enforcement and I hope that this helps

Edited June 20, 2010 by ac316scu

[JScott128 41]

The plane is known as Bergen-1 in Bergen County.... And I don't think it has done any traffic enforcement in Bergen yet.