New York City – NYPD: Most Sophisticated Helicopter In The Country Patrols The City Unmarked

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    Crew chief Detective John Diaz, center, pilot Detective David Roman, left, and chief pilot Detective Dennis DeRienzo pose with the New York Police Department\'s surveillance helicopter. The unmarked helicopter\'s corporate, silver-and-white motif belies what\'s inside: an arsenal of sophisticated surveillance and tracking equipment powerful enough to stealthily read license plates - or even pedestrian\'s faces - from high aboveNew York City – On a cloudless spring day, the NYPD helicopter soars over the city, its sights set on the Statue of Liberty.

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    A dramatic close-up of Lady Liberty’s frozen gaze fills one of three flat-screen computer screens mounted on a console. The hundreds of sightseers clustered below are oblivious to the fact that a helicopter is peering down on them from a mile and a half away.

    “They don’t even know we’re here,” says crew chief John Diaz, speaking into a headset over the dim of aircraft’s motor.

    The unmarked helicopter’s corporate, silver-and-white motif belies what’s inside: an arsenal of sophisticated surveillance and tracking equipment powerful enough to stealthily read license plates _ or even pedestrian’s faces _ from high above.

    Police officials say the chopper’s sweeps of the city landmarks and other potential targets are invaluable to the NYPD’s post-Sept. 11 mission of guarding against another attack. They also argue that keeping it an “unmarked ship” provides a see-but-not-be-seen advantage against lurking terrorists and ordinary bad guys alike.

    “It looks like just another helicopter in the sky,” said Assistant Chief Charles Kammerdener, who oversees the aviation unit.

    Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly has said that “no other law enforcement agency in the country has anything that comes close” to the surveillance chopper, designed by a team of engineers at Bell Helicopter and computer technicians based on the exact specifications of the NYPD.

    The helicopter is named simply “23” _ for the number of police officers killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks

     


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    8 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Great! Now the secret is out. What great reporting!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Dummy, so because of that terrorists will stop their activity and crime will screech to a halt? This is great! “They don’t even know we’re here”.

    anonymous
    anonymous
    15 years ago

    LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Now they can start writing parking tickets from the sky

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Geniuses, if there was a problem with revealing this info, then it wouldn’t be revealed. You have such a low opinion of the NYPD?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Obviously the Police department feels that letting people know about this may be a deterrent.

    Matzahlocal101
    Matzahlocal101
    15 years ago

    Tune in tommorrow for the latests secrets On “America’s best kept secrets”!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    more tickets