RCMP helicopter provides Mounties with important help from above

“Mike-Papa-Papa.”

This call signal commonly heard on police scanners is for Alberta’s lone RCMP helicopter.

The chopper made a pit stop at Red Deer Airport Wednesday morning in an effort by Mounties to increase public education about an arm of the force most know little about.

Cst. Chris Gaunt, a 30-year veteran of the skies, is one of three officers in Alberta trained to pilot MPP.

“We can do search and rescue, we support the Emergency Response Team, any number of things. I was just up in Fort Chipewyan during the search for the four Canadian Rangers,” he says. “We can do whatever the detachments ask us to do. The aircraft is so versatile.”

Pitch ideas

Central Alberta entrepreneurs take part in Catalyst Incubator program

3h ago

numerous incidents

QEII Highway very icy Monday morning

7h ago

"unprecedented levels of discrimination"

Ponoka Pride Society dissolves, citing limited resources

7h ago

MPP is one of four RCMP aircraft in the province, the other three being fixed-wing planes. Tactical Flight Officer Cst. Jason Wells says the helicopter gives police an incredible advantage against criminals.

“If you, for instance, are doing an investigation on a rural property where investigators couldn’t get an eye on it, or are looking for stolen property, the aerial view with either rotary-wing or fixed-wing aircraft provides that,” he says. “If a suspect was trying to leave the property or evade police, or another person was approaching from another angle that was a threat, having an aircraft in the air would be able to identify that.”

The aircraft is equipped with various technologies and tools like the ‘night sun,’ which is a high-powered spotlight, night vision googles, police radios, satellite phones and most importantly, infra-red cameras for finding suspects in the dark or in covered areas using heat signatures.

Wells says at the end of a long day in the air, he typically feels pretty good about the job he’s done.

“The best word I can say is integral. You’re giving information to members on the ground to help plan and safely execute what they’re doing. When you’re done a shift, you definitely feel like you’ve been a part of something,” he says.

Red Deer RCMP are actively working to bring the helicopter into our area for more regular patrols, but Supt. Ken Foster notes they can’t commit to a set schedule.

“It gives the public a sense of security if they see an RCMP helicopter flying around. It’s not always just because something has happened; sometimes it’s our goal here to use it as a patrol platform, so that when those incidents are happening, it’s in the air, it’s available and can react very quickly,” he says.

“It also sends a very strong message to those that are committing many of these crimes that there’s another tool out there. You can’t run away from a helicopter.”