Costa Rica Police Learn To Use Helicopter In Chases

The Fuerza Pública, Costa Rica's national police force, learned a new trick, the use of a helicopter to fight crime.

The revelation came in the last days of last month when a helicopter from the Vigilancia Aérea (Air Surveillance branch of the Fuerza Pública) was used to support officials on the ground while in pursuit of suspects.

The use of the helicopter was used on several occasions, each time resulting in the nabbing of the suspects, including two who tried to flee pursuing police in the coffee farms of Heredia.

Vigilancia Aérea has two helicopters which were donated by the United States in 1985.

According to Alex Romero, head of air operations, the birds have flown a total of 120 hours in 66 different flights this year, 85 of those hours in police actions. Romero said the cost to operate the helicopter is us$530 per hour.

Celso Gamboa, viceministro de Seguridad, has been quoted publicly as saying the investment has paid ff, "it gives better control for police".

Although air surveillance is not new to the Fuerza Pública, for it has a whole division dedicated to that, the aerial chase using a helicopter is new.

However, the idea of using a helicopter as air support is not new. Juan José Andrade, head of the Fuerza Pública, explains that he has been meeting with Romero for the last several months to discuss the possible use of helicopters in the combat against crime.

With the two men reaching an agreement, of which details have not been made public, police have been able to call in the helicopter on several occasions in the past two weeks.

The helicopter gives prospective criminals the shock of their lives as people are going to be watched from above as well as below, and though you can outrun police on foot, on a motorcycle or in a patrol car, its unlikely they can outrun a helicopter.