LIGHTING UP THE BAD GUYS ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

Hovering 1,000 feet above the ground Saturday, Const. Jodeen Cassidy
steadied Air 4 -- the RCMP's AS 350B3 helicopter -- above a house on
Chestnut Avenue.

Below, a mass of Kamloops Mounties, consisting of officers from the
general investigation unit, the emergency response team (ERT) and the
Kamloops action response team (KART), had used the cloak of darkness
to secure a perimeter around the residence -- a well-known "crack shack."

As neighbours watched from behind pulled blinds, a crackled order came
through Cassidy's headset: "Light it up."

With a flick of a switch, a beam of light with the strength of 30
million candles poured forth from Air 4's night-sun device to create a
false day in the area around the house.

On the ground, RCMP concussion grenades went off and officers stormed
the house with guns drawn. Three people were arrested. Weapons were
seized. It was over in minutes.

Recounting the events a day later at Air 4's home base at Kamloops
Airport, Cassidy, a 26-year veteran, said it is tough not to get
excited when an operation such as Saturday's bust goes off without a
hitch.

Although air support is customarily kept out of the loop regarding the
details of an investigation (Cassidy learned the details of the bust
while listening to the radio the next day), she said there is still a
strong feeling of satisfaction in knowing she played an integral role
in the operation.

"You get very excited -- when you have successes like that, it is a
very accomplished feeling," Cassidy, one of two Kamloops RCMP pilots,
said, adding Air 4 is "just a fabulous tool for the police to have. It
[is like] a flying police car."

Which, in a very real sense, it is, except that it boasts a faster
response time.

When out on patrol, Cassidy estimates Air 4 can be at any address in
the city within minutes.

But, while the blinding shot from Air 4's night-sun device allowed
officers to maintain their strict perimeter (and likely sent a chill
down the spine of the three suspects in the house), Cassidy said
Saturday night's use of Air 4 is just a small fraction of its full
potential.

In addition to lighting up an area to ensure bad guys can't use the
cover of night to slip away, Air 4's night-sun device is an ideal tool
for search and rescue operations -- something in which Cassidy is
frequently called upon to assist.

Scanning wooded and often snow-covered areas for marooned hikers and
skiers, it is during such missions that another of Air 4 contraptions
takes centre stage.

The FLIR device -- an infrared camera -- proves an invaluable tool for
locating lost backcountry enthusiasts. Measuring heat differentials,
the FLIR can locate a breathing body within a relatively wide area.

The chopper's video down-link system, Cassidy said, can also provide
ground units with a bird's-eye view of any given area -- a handy
option during patrols, stings and searches.

The day-to-day operations -- which include transporting tech crews to
mountaintops to repair RCMP radio transmitters and simple
reconnaissance -- makes use of Air 4's 1,000-horsepower engine for
fast and efficient travel.

There is also the occasional car chase, such as the one that happened
Saturday, just hours before the Chestnut Avenue bust.

"We were actually in the air doing a recon for the Chestnut Drive
file," Cassidy said. "So I just happened to be in the air when the car
was spotted, so there was no time delay."

It was Cassidy who provided the screeching ground units with a
play-by-play of the high-speed chase that meandered along Highway 1,
Highway 5 and Halston Avenue.

With a constant visual, the ground units were able to reduce their
speeds to safer levels and hang back while the suspect tried to make
his escape. When the driver ditched the stolen truck and tried to take
off on foot, Cassidy was able to track him and direct the ground crews
to his location.

He was found hiding in a house and promptly arrested.

"The coincidence was fabulous -- the right time at the right placed
and a successful ending to it," Cassidy said. "Nobody was harmed."

Meanwhile, the helicopter pilot doesn't anticipate a lull in the
action any time soon. In addition to search and rescue operations and
patrols, Air 4's talents will soon be used for the RCMP's annual
summer grow-op stings.

"It doesn't see through walls," Cassidy said laughingly of the FLIR
device -- a tool used to make a final confirmation on a grow op site.

"People always think we are looking through their houses. That is not
an option. It doesn't work that way."