100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

State-of-the-art helicopter launched on Coast to help clamp down on crime

Do you have a news tip? Click here to send to our news team.

Tourist park developers take proposal to court

The proponents of a tourist park with cabins and camping sites have lodged a court appeal after the plan was refused by council. Beerwah Pines More

Prominent fast-food site to be auctioned

A well-known fast-food location is set for auction, with its long trading history and prime corner position expected to attract strong investor interest. Stonebridge Property More

Iconic resort on tourist strip rebranded

A popular coastal resort is getting a major overhaul with upgraded rooms, enhanced wellness offerings and gourmet dining. Sofitel Noosa, on iconic Hastings Street, is More

‘Indescribable serenity’: beach home offers luxury holiday lifestyle

Tucked into the dunes of Caloundra’s Dicky Beach, a rare beachfront property is offering buyers the chance to secure a family retreat in one More

Jane Stephens: escalating societal violence is unacceptable

How did it come to this? Threats and violent acts have been escalating, demonstrating an ugly side of our otherwise beautiful community, until – hesitantly More

‘Like new’: prime two-storey waterfront home hits market

A spacious contemporary family home with prime position on a main canal at Minyama has entered the market. Offering luxury deepwater living with a desirable More

The Queensland Police Service has expanded its aerial capabilities with a new helicopter on the Sunshine Coast.

The chopper, launched last week, is expected to enhance community safety by assisting police in tracking stolen vehicles, arresting offenders and locating missing persons.

The aircraft has a high-tech camera system with infrared, moving map and vehicle tracking to support law enforcement efforts on the ground, helping police effectively and efficiently respond to incidents and keep the community safe.

A pilot, camera operator and police observer work together on board to assist crews on the ground.

The state-of-the-art helicopter will cover the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay areas.

It will bolster Queensland’s POLAIR fleet, making it the largest aerial police capability in Australia.

It comes after the Sunshine Coast had a 9.5 per cent youth crime reduction in the first six months of this year, in comparison to the same period last year.

Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb.

Police Minister Mark Ryan said the helicopter was a worthwhile investment in the region.

“We’re continuing to provide frontline police officers with advanced technology and equipment to enable a high quality of service to the community,” he said.

“I know this new helicopter will make a big difference in keeping communities safe across the Sunshine Coast.”

Member for Caloundra Jason Hunt said it would make an impact.

“We’ve seen the difference a Poliar helicopter can make in Townsville, so I’m delighted to see the same capability on the Sunshine Coast,” he said.

“I know that our hardworking police will welcome this game-changing asset.”

One of the helicopters used by the Queensland Police Service.

Surf Lifesaving Queensland has been appointed as the successful contractor ahead of the procurement of a permanent POLAIR resource for the North Coast region.

SLSQ aviation CEO Ken Clark said it would be a strong relationship.

“We are looking forward to assisting in the aerial support services for the Queensland Police Service and are confident in our pilot’s ability to work with the police to support the local Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay Burnett communities,” he said.

“We have vast experience in flying aircraft for the police and are always looking to develop with continual improvement in the support of aerial support services.”

Want more free local news? Follow Sunshine Coast News on FacebookLinkedIn and Instagram, and sign up for our FREE daily news email.

Subscribe to SCN’s free daily news email

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
This field is hidden when viewing the form
[scn_go_back_button] Return Home
Share