Shreveport Teams Up with DeSoto Parish to Use Helicopter to Fight Crime

Big news for law enforcement in the Shreveport area. The DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Department and Shreveport Police have unveiled a new crime fighting tool for the region. It's a repurposed helicopter previously used by State Police.

This chopper has been in the shop getting all the latest upgrades to make it a viable tool for fighting crime in the region. DeSoto Parish Sheriff Jayson Richardson tells KEEL News he has an agreement with SPD for use of this chopper. He says the helicopter will be up in the air every day.

This is not DeSoto Parish's first chopper. They got one back in 2012 but it did not have all the latest technology that this chopper has.

What Will the Helicopter Be Used For

This helicopter will have FLIR technology (Forward-Looking Infrared) which has advanced thermal imaging technology that can detect infrared radiation (heat). It also has high tech lighting that can be used in searches for missing people or suspects who are running from the law.

Shreveport is paying DeSoto Parish $150,000 dollars a year to use this chopper as needed. Richardson says the helicopter will be headquartered in DeSoto Parish but it can be in downtown Shreveport in a matter of minutes. Richardson says the flight time is 4-5 minutes. He says it does not matter how many times Shreveport needs to use the helicopter, they will be there. He also says video from the chopper can be viewed at the real time crime center.