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Peoria outlines aviation unit progress; police‑fire air support credited with early arrests and rescues
Summary
City staff reported on Peoria’s new Bell 505 helicopter program, training schedule, maintenance needs and the casework it has already assisted, and said a second aircraft would reduce downtime and extend operational availability.
Peoria city staff reported on March 25 that the public‑safety aviation unit, launched with a Bell 505 purchased in 2023, is in training and already assisting police and fire missions, including searches, felony arrests and missing‑person recoveries.
Commander Smith, the police lead for the aviation unit, told the council the helicopter is a five‑seat Bell 505 capable of day‑night and search‑and‑rescue operations, and that initial training has saved the city both time and money through partnerships with regional agencies and equipment vendors. “We are still in the training phase of our helicopter,” Commander Smith said, but “when we do train in the helicopter, we’re having to fly over,…
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