Police Air Support Unit proves invaluable to tackling crime

The Saskatoon Police Serve Air Support Unit (ASU) continues to play an invaluable role in the city according to a report tabled before the city’s board of police commissioners.

The report says in 2018, the ASU responded to 1,219 calls for service. It says 17 per cent of those calls freed up units on the ground so they could focus on other calls for service.

The ASU was credited with 153 arrests resulting in 400 charges being laid, a 45 per cent decrease from 2017. The report outlined traffic safety issues such as targeting aggressive drivers, continues to be a priority for the unit. And it says the infra-red capabilities of the ASU’s camera system have proven to be an invaluable resource for day and night searches.

The ASU also has assisted outside agencies including the City of Saskatoon, Emergency Management Operations, Saskatoon Fire and Protective Services, Prince Albert Police and RCMP.

In 2017, city council gave the green light for the police to purchase their own aircraft which entered service in August 2018. The air support unit began as a pilot project in 2005.