THE Police Air Wing division is using an aeroplane for the first time in two decades.
The Air Wing unit acquired fixed wing Beechcraft Super King Air 350ER aeroplane from Skytraders, and has been using it this year.
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Ross Guenther said the aeroplane “enables police to rapidly respond as incidents are unfolding and provide increased aerial observation state-wide.”
“We often see evades, pursuits or hostile vehicle events unfolding in a series. Whether it’s in Mildura or Mordialloc, we will now be able to provide a specialist response in those first critical moments to prevent further harm from taking place,” he said.
“Importantly, we can cover great distances without stopping, which will save precious time during critical events or searches for high-risk missing people on land or at sea. Being able to quickly deploy elite units such as the Search and Rescue Squad, Critical Incident Response Team and the Special Operations Group will mean that they can get across the state in a matter of hours.”
