THERMAL CAMERA IMPROVES POLICE PLANE'S EYESIGHT

Not Even Cover Of Darkness Can Protect Crooks From Cops Now.

The Saskatoon Police Service's eye in the sky is about to become
sharper with the addition of a thermal imaging camera to the police
plane. It allows police officers to spot a suspect running at night
through backyards or a hidden grow operation.

"It certainly helps us pinpoint people moving," said Chief Clive
Weighill. "It's a very, very good tool for us."

Marijuana grow operations are hidden from the naked eye, but they
generate heat.

"(With) thermal imaging, when you fly over a (grow-op) house, it
lights up like a candle and we can tell if there's something very
suspicious going on in that residence," he said following a meeting
Thursday of the city's board of police commissioners, who approved
the purchase.

The city is loaning the police service $300,000 to buy the camera,
but ultimately all but the interest will be paid by Saskatchewan
Government Insurance. SGI has agreed to pay the service $60,000 per
year for five years after the force sent it a written proposal.

"You're not giving a (criminal) a chance," Mayor Don Atchison told Weighill.

Adding the camera also helps public relations. With a greater range
of vision, the police plane will be able to fly higher, generating
less noise at ground level. The force has also installed a new
muffler on the plane to reduce noise.

It's not clear how soon the force will have the camera.