Air Support Division Celebrates 50 Years of Continuous Operation

The Los Angeles Police Department achieved another milestone on Wednesday, December 6, 2024 by celebrating the 50th anniversary of continuous service of its Air Support Division (ASD).  At an open house, hosted by the Division, Chief Bratton presented a proclamation from the Mayor and City Council recognizing this significant anniversary and acknowledging the Division’s half-century of progress.  Additionally, a large carved mahogany plaque featuring the Air Support insignia was unveiled honoring the landmark occasion.

For the LAPD, what started out as a unique approach to monitoring traffic on a rapidly expanding freeway system in 1956 has grown into the largest municipal airborne law enforcement operation in the world.  During the past 50 years, ASD has evolved in to the model that other law enforcement agencies have looked to.  It is recognized worldwide as a premiere innovator and leader in law enforcement aviation.

In 1956 at its inception, ASD consisted of four officers and one supervisor.  There was only one aircraft, a Hiller 12-C helicopter.  The unit logged 775 hours of flight time during its first full year of operation.

Today, the Division consists of 77 sworn and 25 civilian employees.  The fleet consists of 18 helicopters and one airplane.  Its average yearly flight time is 18,000 hours.  Each year, ASD responds to approximately 43,000 calls for service, which include roughly 325 vehicle pursuits, 1,100 foot pursuits, and 1,700 perimeters, resulting in as many a 5,800 felony arrests and 1,600 recovered vehicles.

In 1970, 14 years after ASD’s inception, a study commissioned by NASA and conducted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Space Technology Application Office questioned the effect that airborne law enforcement had on crime and criminal activity.  What this study found was:

• Part 1 Property Crimes were reduced when an LAPD helicopter assisted ground officers.
• A threefold increase in arrests involving radio calls occurred.
• The residents of Los Angeles accepted helicopter patrols as a necessary part of the City’s policing effort.
• Patrol and investigative officers overwhelmingly favored having a helicopter overhead while handling calls for service.

In his remarks at the open house, Chief Bratton stated "Air Support Division is a tremendous asset in fighting crime in this City.  They are our black and whites in the sky."