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Rogue River will consider using police helicopter By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune ROGUE RIVER - The city will consider joining other small Jackson County communities in using Metro Air One helicopter patrols to support its police officers on the ground. City Administrator Mark Reagles said the city's Police Commission began studying the idea after it was proposed by officer Roger Bingham, who had served as a reservist for Eagle Point and received training on Metro One. Bingham said he wondered why the city was not already utilizing such a valuable tool. "I started asking some questions," he said. "Apparently, there just wasn't much education on it." Metro Air One is a cooperative air support unit formed in 1997 by local police agencies to assist ground patrol. Herb Sutton, owner of Snowy Butte Helicopters, funds the $1.2 million aircraft and underwrites the $500 an hour operating costs. Cities subscribing to the service include Ashland, Phoenix, Central Point, Shady Cove, Eagle Point and Butte Falls, as well as the Veterans Affairs Domiciliary in White City. Talent suspended the patrols after residents complained about the noise, use of spotlights and flying altitudes. Police say the patrols aid in search and rescue and help in pursuit of suspects. In the last fiscal year, Metro Air One was involved in 20 felony and 22 misdemeanor arrests, eight search-and-rescue operations and five reported fires and made 138 flights valleywide. Reagles said that so far, city officials are open to the idea of subscribing to Metro Air One. "It looks like a really good opportunity for a small department to have some additional help, which is definitely my motivation - anything to make these guys' job safer and give them all the help we can," he said. Bingham said helicopter patrols could help locate missing persons, provide emergency backup for officers on the ground and give assistance during high-speed pursuits. "We're so far away from additional help that, for citizens of Rogue River and myself, to have that extra eye in the sky would be great for public safety reasons. It just makes sense all the way around," he said. Newly appointed Police Chief Kenneth Lewis agreed. "It's unique in that it's a valuable, expensive service basically being donated at almost no cost," Lewis said. "My philosophy is, if it saves one person from injury or captures a notorious criminal, it's probably going to be well worth it." In light of the controversy Metro Air One generated in Talent, Lewis said he would welcome input ahead of time. "The biggest obstacle we'll have will be putting any fears that members of the public have to rest," he said. "I'd rather hear ahead of time from people who feel it could be a problem than after." Lewis said he would meet with Metro Air One officials to learn more and would make a recommendation to the city after the holidays. Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.