NEWPORT BEACH : Police Want Infrared Devices for Copters

Under a proposal to be considered by the City Council on Monday, the city’s Police Department helicopters would be equipped with infrared tracking devices for use in night searches.

The equipment, which would transfer between the two helicopters much like a removable car stereo, would allow officers to track suspects and cars through the presence of body heat or engine combustion instead of with searchlights.

Such a heat-sensing tool can be very effective for searching unlit areas such as beaches or the Back Bay area, and can also indicate which cars on a street are running or have been recently parked, said Tim Newman, a spokesman for the Police Department.

Newman said a recent incident in which two runaway boys were hiding in the greenbelt area of Corona Del Mar would have been a perfect opportunity to use the infrared devices.

Equipping each helicopter with the infrared capability and upgrading the searchlight on one of the helicopters would cost the city about $155,000.

In the current city budget, $60,000 has already been set aside for the hardware and the Police Department proposes using money confiscated during drug seizures for the remaining $81,000, Newman said.