Air Support Unit

Since starting operations, Lancashire Constabulary's Air Support Unit has been directly involved in the arrest of over 4000 people, helped with over 120 casualty evacuations, found over 300 missing persons, recovered over 350 vehicles.

The Unit is of great benefit to Lancashire, helping in a huge range of incidents, such as searching for missing people, offenders or property, taking photographs of crime scenes and road collisions, assisting in pursuits, public disorder and firearms incidents.

During the first four months of this year, the helicopter, which hovers at around 1,000 feet above the ground, assisted in 704 incidents, which included helping arrest almost 150 suspects, searching for over 50 missing people and was involved in the recovery of £30,000 of drugs. Although accounting for less than one per cent of flying time, the unit has also performed more than 120 casualty evacuations. Such call outs are both operationally and emotionally demanding adding a human dimension to routine search tasks.