Feb 4, 2007 12:03 am US/Eastern
CBS 2 Exclusive: Newark's Eyes In The Sky
Police Waging War Against Crime With Helicopter
by Jay Dow
NEWARK (CBS) ―
Newark Police are hoping that taking to the skies will help them turn around the city's growing gang and drug problems.
In the past, criminals in Newark had a decent chance of outrunning the police. They drove faster cars and were willing to put innocent bystanders in danger.
They still do.
But since the police department took to the skies with its own helicopter, catching the bad guys isn't nearly as dangerous or difficult.
On Friday night, we gave you an inside look at the Newark Police Department's newly formed Fugitive Apprehension and Narcotics Unit. The aim: taking drugs off the street and putting gang members behind bars.
"We're going to be making cases against narcotics organizations," Newark Police Director Garry McCarthy said. "And the goal is to eliminate narcotics markets, which is something that law enforcement has not been very good at doing."
With the department's new approach comes a new perspective -- from above.
"I actually have two suspects that were surrendering to the light," Lt. Greg Gilhooly, the chopper's co-pilot, said while giving a demonstration.
The department gave CBS 2 an exclusive tour of their modified army chopper, which flies just about every night.
It's outfitted with a high-powered spotlight that can illuminate an entire city block or focus on just one person.
That's exactly what happened on a recent night, when detectives had trouble finding a suspect. With "Able 1" hovering above, putting some light on the situation, the cops found their man.
The police department doesn't advertise this chopper as the "magic pill" to solve the city's crime and drug problems. But it's an excellent observation tool and can cover Newark better than a patrol car.
Traveling at speeds up to 160 mph, the chopper can fly from one end of Newark to the other in less than a minute.
"We're a force multiplier," said Capt. Anthony Marnello, the chopper's pilot. "We can see things in sections of the city that police officers can't as they drive by in their cars, as people hide behind trees, under cars."
During the demonstration, CBS 2 witnessed some joy riders speeding through the city. The cops on the streets did not.
"Basically within 15 seconds this call is serviced," Lt. Gilhooly said.
It all comes down to faster response times and more arrests.
Department officials admit the plan won't turn Newark around overnight, but they hope residents agree it's a start.
The Newark Police Department is in the process of acquiring another chopper to help patrol the city's skies.
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