Washington State Patrol officers working out of the Olympia airport are now using airplanes to catch DUI and Reckless Driving suspects. When callers speak with 911 representatives, the 911 worker contacts the operator of "Smokey 3," a plane used by Washington State Patrol. The plane's operator calls the complaining party, and uses the information provided by him or her to track down the suspect vehicle and relay the vehicle's location to law enforcement on the ground. Beyond just tracking down location, Smokey 3 is also equipped with a gyro-stabilized video camera attached to the side of the aircraft. It's called a Forward-Looking Infrared or FLIR camera. According to an NPR article, the camera is "similar to ones used by the military, it has night-vision capabilities and can lock-in on a vehicle zipping down the freeway." The camera records the driver, and prosecutors then have access to these recordings to use against DUI suspects in court. 911 dispatch also has access to the driving the camera records, and relays what he or she sees to law enforcement on the ground. This cutting-edge technology is not cheap. Washington did not have to pony up for this capability out of our budget as Uncle Sam picked up the several hundred thousand dollar bill in the form of a Homeland Security Grant. Washington State is currently the only state that utilizes this technology to apprehend drunk drivers.
Olympia Law Enforcement Tracks DUI Suspects in Plane
July 20, 2009
