LASD Patrol Helicopter, photo by Dancaffey (Talk) Wikimedia. 

Los Angeles Sheriff's Air Support Unit:

Currenty, LASD Air Ops Unit is in the process of aquiring new A-Stars (B2's) for a grand total of 14 a-stars by the end of 2011. So far, they have already acquired 3. It's about one new one per month or shorter. The total number of aircraft will be 14 A-stars alone (over the 12 A-stars they currently have in the fleet), coupled with the two Cessna 210's, one King Air (B200) and three Sikorsky H-3's. That's a total of 18 aircraft currently. After they receive the new 14 a-stars, L.A. Sheriff's will have a total of 20 aircraft in their fleet.

LASD Air Ops Unit is currently planning on replacing the H3's with new Sikorsky S-92's in the near future. Plans to replace the current H3's are already in the works.

The new a-stars are ordered with complete glass cockpits, wx radar, satelite secure phones, 5 band radios and all of the other LE airborne equipment one would expect.

LASD Sikorsky H-3 Rescue Helicopter, photo: Polihale (Talk) Wikimedia.

Additionally, they have full time Deputy pilots (H3's) dedicated to Search & Rescue in the mountains, deserts and anywhere they're needed in between to supplement LA County fire air-ops. Every other "rescue/medical" call goes to County fire or Sheriff for air rescue ops. They actually share "rescue" type calls. For LASD, its 7 day per week operation for the H3 pilots along with Deputy Sheriff Paramedics and a Deputy Sheriff Crew Chief on board every day, every flight.

A-star patrol crews/flights are a 7 day per week, 24hour operation.

Also, LASD recently acquired a new "air station" office now at Brackett field on the east side of the county with full time deputy air crews working out of there and reporting their for work, instead of the unit's "HQ" at Long Beach Airport. Additionally, its worth mentioning that LASD has maintained a full time patrol air operations office with full time crews working the high desert areas of Palmdale and Lancaster, and another air ops facility deep within the Angeles national forest for the H3, up in the mountains. Again, both of those two air facilities are maintained with deputy flight crews 7 days per week.

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