Mission

    The Pickens County Sheriffs Office Air Support Unit is dedicated to providing ground based patrol resources with a quality airborne asset, designed to enhance criminal apprehension and provide for officer safety.

History 

     The Pickens County Sheriffs Office has utilized aircraft in support of law enforcement missions since the late 1970s.  Fixed wing aircraft were rented from the local airport on an as needed basis until 1993 when the Sheriff’s Office acquired its first aircraft through a drug seizure.  This aircraft was traded for a 1977 Cessna 182 Skylane airplane that is currently in use and is known as “Air 2”.  The airplane is used mostly for prisoner and personnel transport but can also be used for aerial surveillance and searches. The airplane is equipped for flight in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IFR) and has a Garmin 430 GPS navigation system. It is also equipped with long range tanks for over five hours of non-stop flight. 

     In 1996, the Sheriff’s Office addressed the need for a helicopter in Pickens County.  An application was made to the Department of Defense for a military surplus helicopter at no cost to taxpayers.  In 1998, Sheriff’s Office air support personnel traveled to Ft. Carson Colorado and took possession of a 1969 OH-58C Bell Helicopter.  The helicopter was flown 1250 miles back to Pickens County where it received new paint, police and aviation radios, and maintenance.  It was placed into service in 1999 and was dubbed “Air 1”.  The helicopter was later outfitted with high skid gear and a 15 million-candlepower searchlight used to support night missions.  “Air 1” can fly as fast as 130 mph or can sit at a hover over a call.  The helicopter is an invaluable tool and is known as a force multiplier.  The helicopter can cover as much area as twelve to fifteen officers at one time and can respond much faster.  The helicopter is used to support narcotics investigations such as marijuana eradication, service of search warrants and drug raids, surveillance of suspects, and static displays promoting drug awareness.  Other missions include searching for lost or wanted people and stolen property, vehicle pursuits, aerial photography, support of canine or other specialized units, and routine patrol.  In the first full year of operation, “Air 1” is credited with locating seven lost people, two wanted persons, and over one thousand marijuana plants. 

     The Air Support Unit is staffed by three Pilots, Assistant Sheriff Tim Morgan, Master Deputy Dean T. Jones and Helicopter Pilot, Henry Campbell . The pilot in command (PIC) is responsible for the safe flight of the aircraft, conducts pre and post flight inspections of the aircraft, obtains weather briefings, and communicates with air traffic control or other aircraft on the aviation radios. The air support unit also utilizes law enforcement observers to assist in police missions. The observer is responsible for conducting the police mission by communicating and coordinating law enforcement activities with police dispatch and the ground units.

     The Sheriff’s Office aircraft are based at the Pickens County Airport in Liberty and are available for call out 24 hours a day and can be airborne in minutes.  In addition to supporting the Pickens County Sheriffs Office, the Air Support Unit also supports local police departments, State and Federal Agencies operating within the county and neighboring agencies as needed.