Unmarked chopper patrols New York City from above

By TOM HAYS
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- On a cloudless spring day, the NYPD helicopter soars over the city, its sights set on the Statue of Liberty.

A dramatic close-up of Lady Liberty's frozen gaze fills one of three flat-screen computer monitors mounted on a console. Hundreds of sightseers 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," said crew chief John Diaz, speaking into a headset over the din of the aircraft's engine.

The helicopter's unmarked paint job belies what's inside: an arsenal of sophisticated surveillance and tracking equipment powerful enough to read license plates - or scan pedestrians' faces - from high above the nation's largest metropolis.

Police say the chopper's sweeps of landmarks and other potential targets are invaluable in helping guard against another terrorist attack, providing a see-but-avoid-being-seen advantage against bad guys.

"It looks like just another helicopter in the sky," said Assistant Police Chief Charles Kammerdener, who oversees the department's aviation unit.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly has said that no other U.S. law enforcement agency "has anything that comes close" to the surveillance chopper, which was designed by engineers at Bell Helicopter and computer technicians based on NYPD specifications.

The chopper is named simply "23" - for the number of police officers killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The $10 million helicopter is just part of the department's efforts to adopt cutting-edge technology for its counterterrorism operations.

The NYPD also plans to spend tens of millions of dollars strengthening security in the lower Manhattan business district with a network of closed-circuit television cameras and license-plate readers posted at bridges, tunnels and other entry points.

Police have also deployed hundreds of radiation monitors - some worn on belts like pagers, others mounted on cars and in helicopters - to detect dirty bombs.

Kelly even envisions someday using futuristic "stationary airborne devices" similar to blimps to conduct reconnaissance and guard against chemical, biological and radiological threats.

Civil rights advocates are skeptical about the push for more surveillance, arguing it reflects the NYPD's evolution into ad hoc spy agency.

"From a privacy perspective, there's always a concern that 'New York's Finest' are spending millions of dollars to engage in peeping tom activities," said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Police insist that law-abiding New Yorkers have nothing to fear.

"Obviously, we're not looking into apartments," Diaz said during a recent flight. "We don't invade the privacy of individuals. We only want to observe anything that's going on in public."

The helicopter's powers of observation come from a high-powered robotic camera mounted on a turret projecting from its nose like a periscope. The camera has infrared night-vision capabilities and a satellite navigation system that allows police to automatically zoom in on a location by typing in the address on a computer keyboard.

The surveillance system can beam live footage to police command centers or even to wireless hand-held devices.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/ ... TE=DEFAULT

Aviation 23 or N23FH may not be in NYPD blue but it can hardly be mistaken for anything but a law enforcement helicopter being outfitted
with a FLIR, Nightsun, rescue hoist and other assorted bells and whistles.
http://www.rockawave.com/news/2003/1024 ... y/008.html

Here it is from a few months back...

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1253/...92ab3248_o.jpg

Quote:

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Here it is from a few months back...

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EXCELLENT shot showing all the unmarked equipment. :D

Yea I shot that one before as well...
That helicopters intent is blatantly obvious if you ask me.
Senga

Shouldn't they be painted black? http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/2...61_KvydQ-L.gif

I believe this one belongs to the FBI --

>I believe this one belongs to the FBI -- <
Yup though that number is no longer valid. After 9/11 there were numerous unmarked government helicopters from different agencies flying missions
in and around the area. The FBI/Justice Dept. had a number of 412s and AS350s in that group. And yes they are black. :D

FBI brought this copter in to the Floyd Bennett fly in last September. Talking to the pilots, one said "They don't let us out much, I'm surprised they let us come to this."

http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/1...01_ywj7Z-S.jpg http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/1...10_rEzCz-S.jpg

[quote="moose135"]FBI brought this copter in to the Floyd Bennett fly in last September. Talking to the pilots, one said "They don't let us out much, I'm surprised they let us come to this."

I've seen that ship a number of times. They use the call sign "Idaho" and this was "Idaho One Nine". Anyone know the reason they use "Idaho"?
Also the DEA use "Flint" and Customs/ICE uses "Omaha".