 |
|||
|
|||
 |
The Lake County Police Department Aviation Unit started in 1979 with three military surplus helicopters that were acquired from the United States Army. The aircraft were brought back from the Arizona and were completely restored by members of the unit and help of local businesses. Those aircraft served the citizens of Lake County until the mid 1990’s. During the mid 1990’s the military again released surplus helicopters that allowed the department to acquire two flyable OH-58 (Jet Ranger) helicopters and one UH-1H (Huey) helicopter.
 The Lake County Sheriff is able to provide a valuable resource with the aviation unit. The unit is used for just some of the following purposes:
Patrol:
The aviation unit is used to patrol some of the most remote parts of the county which is approximately 626 square miles. Much of south Lake County is patrolled by the air due to the fact the action unit can cover more area in a much shorter time then an officer patrolling in a vehicle. The Sheriff also provides aerial patrol over the infrastructure of Lake County such as the mills, refineries, power grids etc. many of these areas are not accessible by vehicles. The unit is also used to patrol many of the inland bodies of water in Lake County as well as the Lake Michigan shoreline that the sheriff is responsible for patrolling. One of the prime uses is pursuit assists using the aircraft greatly reduces a pursuit risk to the citizens on the road and all the officers involved.
Support Missions:
The aviation unit provides support operations to the various units within the police department such as K-9, SWAT, Gang Unit, Marine Unit and Drug Task Force. The unit also assists other offices within Lake County Government as well as some federal law enforcement agencies as well as the Indiana Department Homeland Security District 1 Task Force.
The unit is made up of two pilots from the Lake County Sheriff Department and one pilot on loan for the Gary Police Department. The unit also has one full time tactical flight officer. The Lake County Police Department Aviation Unit is located at the Griffith – Merrillville Airport in Griffith, IN.
Related links:
|
 |
LAKE COUNTY MOST WANTED |
| 2293 N. Main Street • Crown Point, IN 46307-1854 • Contact Us |
| © 2025 Lake County Sheriff | Professional Website Design, Web Development, Web Hosting provided by Alkon Consulting Group |