Known as NPD1, the police chopper provides eyes in the sky to track fleeing vehicles and help direct officers on the ground to crime scenes, says the city's public safety director
NEWARK -- The city's free police helicopter aided in three arrests on Sunday, directing officers on the ground to a motorcyclist who had crashed out of control, a man in possession of marijuana and heroin, and a reckless driver with heroin in his car, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose announced.
The police chopper, among billions of dollars worth of military surplus given to municipal police departments, also helped officers collar a 13-year-old boy spotted riding a four-wheel recreational vehicle, or quad, and issue him a summons before releasing him to his parents, Ambrose said.
"The helicopter keeps officers in cars from having to chase suspects in vehicles and needlessly endanger the lives of our residents," Ambrose said in a statement. "It also enables arrests to be made through observations from the air that can't be seen from the street."
In one incident, the helicopter, known as NPD1, spotted 18-year-old Davon Anderson of Newark riding a "dirt bike," or off-road motorcycle, recklessly through the streets of the South Ward at about 5 p.m., Ambrose said.
Anderson failed to negotiate a turn and crashed the bike, and the helicopter crew radioed the location, allowing patrol officers to respond on the ground and arrest him before he could restart the bike and flee, Ambrose said.
And in another incident, the helicopter spotted a car speeding recklessly on 15th Street, and directed detectives from the department's special enforcement unit to its location. The detectives pulled over the car, resulting in the arrest of Addie Eley, 39, of Newark, on a heroin possession charge, after he was issued several traffic tickets.
Newark received the former Army helicopter for free, as part of a controversial nationwide disbursement of a surplus military equipment that prompted some to question the need for it or the ability of municipal police departments to make proper use of it.
But while the department did not have to purchase the chopper, an examination of public records shows the city has spent more than $2 million to refurbish, maintain and operate it. Documents obtained by NJ Advance Media last year under a series of public records requests show maintenance contracts alone approved by the Newark City Council in the past five years have totaled $1.13 million, including a $81,000 emergency appropriation.
Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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