Overview
The Aviation Section provides statewide aerial enforcement, rapid response, airborne assessments of incidents, and transportation services in support of the WSP’s public safety mission. The Aviation Section utilizes one Beechcraft King Air, two Cessna 206 Stationairs equipped with Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) cameras, aerial mapping, and live video downlink, and three Cessna 182 Skylanes.
Key Measurements and Statistics
The Aviation Section continues to work towards its goal of providing sustainable aerial traffic enforcement and traffic congestion management by concentrating efforts in replacing aging aircraft, training fully mission qualified pilots, and continuing to build partnerships across the state.
Aviation has relied on the use of its current Cessna fleet for the past two decades. As the aircraft near or exceed 10,000 hours of flight time, operating costs increase and dispatch availability decreases. In response, the Aviation section has requested funding to replace and upgrade two of its planes. It is believed that these planes will result in greater capabilities and ultimately expanded services. With the implementation of a new no-pursuit law, Aviation believes its services are more valuable now than they have ever been.
Consistent with previous years, Aviation continues to seek and train professional law enforcement officers to fly on three different platforms. With the loss of several key personnel, opportunities have been provided to new individuals resulting in innovation and new partnerships. Aviation continues to utilize a reserve Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) program and relies on assistance from the Field Operations Bureau (FOB) to supply the reserve TFO’s. In 2021, one full time TFO was added to the Aviation team as well as the addition of two new reserve TFO’s.
Successes of 2021
Aviation saw an increase in partnerships across the state in 2021. Aviation began a working relationship with the WSP’s Commercial Vehicle Division (CVD), Training Division, and Homeland Security Division’s (HSD) Bomb Squad as well as outside agencies to include Lakewood Police Department and the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Target Zero Aerial Patrol (TZAP) mission, implemented in 2019, continues to be a high priority mission for the section. TZAP utilizes the Cessna 206 and FLIR equipment to conduct statewide aerial traffic enforcement, targeting collision causing violations known to cause serious injury and fatality collisions (ex: speed, aggressive driving, driving under the influence). Aviation found the TZAP mission to not only be an effective force-multiplier, assisting ground units apprehend violators, but also effective in traffic congestion management, pursuit management, suspect searches, and stolen vehicle apprehension. Being the Cessna 206 is the primary aircraft for Law Enforcement missions, the section anticipates replacing two of the Cessna 182’s with two Cessna 206’s. Both planes were included in the Governor’s budget for the 2022 Legislative Session.
With changes to state legislation and agency staffing levels in 2021, Aviation saw an opportunity to increase the use of the FLIR equipped Cessna 206 and added daytime TZAP missions to what historically had been done at night. Aviation constantly seeks to adapt to the WSP’s needs and priorities and works to maximize the airborne assets for utilization in ways which best serve the citizens of Washington.