One of the greatest strengths of law enforcement aircraft is the ability to quickly, effectively, and thoroughly search large areas. Ground units will often pursue a suspect into backyards or wooded areas and request aviation back-up for assistance locating & tracking their target.
When searching from the air, either visually or with forward looking infra red (FLIR), it gets very difficult for airborne crews to distinguish between good guys and bad guys, particularly if plainclothes officers are involved in the ground pursuit. If you’re involved in such a pursuit with air support watching from above, try to stay in packs of two or more while pursuing as a means of helping the airborne crew distinguish you from the suspect. A single individual will be easily noticed from the air and ground officers can be directed to the individual for the apprehension.
