View Full Version : Paragliding Police
Palm Bay, FL - bears in the air. ;)
Video:
http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/dpgo_Video_Paragliding_Police_mb_042220092436782
Richard's $.02 :munchin
A police department in central Florida is equipping some of its officers with paragliders, and they're taking to the skies to catch up with wrongdoers and to look for missing people.
Paragliding instructor Philip Russman is teaching some of Palm Bay's police officers how to move to the thrust of the 50-plus-pound motor they'll harness on their backs.
"I'm here to teach the police officers how to fly these safely and handle other tasks in the sky like radio communications and GPS while they're flying and looking for the bad guys," Russman said.
The department looked into unmanned vehicles called drones two years ago for a better means of search and rescue and fighting crime, but Lt. Mark Renkens said that option didn't work.
"There's a possibility that particular aircraft could fly off [course] causing problems for other aircraft," he explained.
So Renkens and another officer started flying paragliders a year ago hoping it will help them save lives.
These machines can fly two inches off the ground and they can also soar 18,000 feet into the air. But these officers won't go above 500 feet.
It's experimental for now and the first in the country. These officers hope to set a new standard of crime prevention.
"We believe we can never stop looking for new ideas, innovative ways to fight crime or look for people or serve citizens a better way," Renkens concluded.
Utah Bob
04-26-2009, 06:56
I wrote a proposal to use ultralights for patrol of some wilderness areas when I was working in Florida. My department shot it down naturally. The unwashed cretins.
Guess I was ahead of my time (or my supervisors were behind theirs). :D
Always wanted to do that and it is a cheap quiet way to fly an area..... Good for the PD trying something new.
ZonieDiver
04-26-2009, 18:20
I wrote a proposal to use ultralights for patrol of some wilderness areas when I was working in Florida. My department shot it down naturally. The unwashed cretins.
Guess I was ahead of my time (or my supervisors were behind theirs). :D
Utah Bob - I've always felt that way, which is why this part of a fav movie always struck a chord with me! :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4beP5nKtruo
Defender968
04-26-2009, 21:12
Hey that's better than the departments trying to use Segways, that’s just gay! :D
Palm Bay, FL - bears in the air.
In Compton it would be Police Pinata! :eek:
Pat
I don't para-anything,, but I do know the winds along the South East Florida coast.
I think these LEO's are going to get real tired of walking back to the motor pool when they get blown into the Everglades from a very common 25 knot on-shore breeze..
Or better yet,, when the local rag sheet takes a couple pictures of someone who runs out of fuel and lands in the Mayors swimming pool...
It also looks like they are using Paramotor Gliders. Paragliders being motorless..
My Cuz lives in Palm Bay and sees them on a regular basis,, but she doesn't think it's the LOE's..
I'd save the money,, give each offices an extra 500 rounds of ammo,, and send them to the range for Zombie pratice...
My $00.0002
Puertoland
04-29-2009, 21:09
Hey that's better than the departments trying to use Segways, that’s just gay! :D
Vineland Police have already started. We were driving down to the pizza joint when all of a sudden, rushing out of a dark alley like a paraplegic straight out of hell was this cop on one of those things. Helmet and all.
My son pointed and caught everybody's attention, the girlfriend and mother began laughing and I couldn't hold back either. Nobody said anything, but the windows were unrolled and the guy looked straight down as he zipped on by. I felt guilty then...and didn't laugh as much. Those things really don't have room for anybody you arrest, are fast enough to outrun, and only look like they would promote laziness within the department. Bikes were better.
The Para-gliding seems really neat though, I'm sure most departments can't afford a duo of helicopters, or even one. If this works out well, it spreads the capabilities of Police in a cost effective manner, and I'm sure its just going to be a great story of the first arrest made by a Para-gliding Officer. Soaring to the street in front of criminals who had sworn there had been no witnesses around :D.
mojaveman
04-29-2009, 22:04
[QUOTE=PSM;262024] In Compton it would be Police Pinata! :eek:
True!
I wonder if those high flying officers will be wearing body armor.
Definately more economical than rotary wing aircraft.
I live near Perris, CA which is one of the sky diving capitals of the World and see those contraptions buzzing around all the time.
I'll pass.
Defender968
04-30-2009, 05:55
Vineland Police have already started. We were driving down to the pizza joint when all of a sudden, rushing out of a dark alley like a paraplegic straight out of hell was this cop on one of those things. Helmet and all.
My son pointed and caught everybody's attention, the girlfriend and mother began laughing and I couldn't hold back either. Nobody said anything, but the windows were unrolled and the guy looked straight down as he zipped on by. I felt guilty then...and didn't laugh as much. Those things really don't have room for anybody you arrest, are fast enough to outrun, and only look like they would promote laziness within the department. Bikes were better.
The Para-gliding seems really neat though, I'm sure most departments can't afford a duo of helicopters, or even one. If this works out well, it spreads the capabilities of Police in a cost effective manner, and I'm sure its just going to be a great story of the first arrest made by a Para-gliding Officer. Soaring to the street in front of criminals who had sworn there had been no witnesses around :D.
No self respecting LEO worth a crap would ride a segway without being ordered to do so, I wouldn't laugh, but it's hard not to. Were I on a dept that was issuing them out I'd fight tooth and nail not to get one. I hope they go away quickly they really don't make any sense to me. A bike is faster, cheaper, and more maneuverable, and you don't look like a complete idiot riding a bike.
Just my .02
Utah Bob
04-30-2009, 12:24
No self respecting LEO worth a crap would ride a segway without being ordered to do so, I wouldn't laugh, but it's hard not to. Were I on a dept that was issuing them out I'd fight tooth and nail not to get one. I hope they go away quickly they really don't make any sense to me. A bike is faster, cheaper, and more maneuverable, and you don't look like a complete idiot riding a bike.
Just my .02
They demonstrated one to my department before I retired. Thank God the Chief has enough sense to realize that bikes were a lot cheaper. But a lot of Chiefs are attracted to shiny new things....:rolleyes:
The Reaper
04-30-2009, 12:32
I saw two Southern Pines cops on them last weekend and had to laugh.
Then I remembered what they cost (which is part of the reason they did not sell), and as a taxpayer, had to cry.
TR
Defender968
04-30-2009, 17:00
I saw to Southern Pines cops on them last weekend and had to laugh.
Then I remembered what they cost (which is part of the reason they did not sell), and as a taxpayer, had to cry.
TR
Southern Pines? Wow I knew there was lots of money in that area but I'm surprised such a small dept would spend that kind of change on something like a segway. Think positive maybe they got a grant, though that's still taxpayer money, just from a different colored pot.
Utah Bob
04-30-2009, 17:53
Southern Pines? Wow I knew there was lots of money in that area but I'm surprised such a small dept would spend that kind of change on something like a segway. Think positive maybe they got a grant, though that's still taxpayer money, just from a different colored pot.
Some departments got them free for the publicity, some at a Greatly reduced price, Most used federal grant money, and some were dumb enough to pay big bucks.
FWIW, I had a chance to talk to a L.A. County Sheriff's deputy who was working the metro (what passes for a subway system in L.A.) on a segue. He was a sergeant who had the comportment of most L.A. area LEOs--in great shape, intellectually engaged with his surroundings, and armed to the teeth.
He opined that it was better than a bike because it afforded greater control and maneuverability. He said that the top speed of the device was 40 mph:eek:, so that he could easily get to someone who was on foot.
I asked him about safety and the advantages of the additional height it offered. He said that it took a while to master balancing on a segue and that some of his colleagues had suffered broken arms and shoulders (he fought hard not to laugh at this point). He said that he had a better field of vision on the segue than he'd have on foot or on a bike.
AngelsSix
05-01-2009, 05:44
Myself and one of the Pinehurst cops and his wife were down in SoPines as well, and we saw the "Segway bandit" and took a picture for posterity. It isn't a far pitch from the stupid little cart the Pinehurst police bought to ride the trails. I volunteered for bike duty if they would buy the gear. No one wanted "to spend that kind of money". So they bought a motorcycle instead.
Our Sheriffs Dept used a powered parachute for about six months. They spent two ass loads of taxpayer dollars on it, only had one Deputy trained to use it and then sold it at a huge loss. It was a total waste all around....