Background

Initial development of aviation as an urban policing tool was rooted in national security concerns stemming from the United States' entry into World War I. Early 20th century fears of foreign sabotage in the US were compounded by domestic political violence related to Anarchist and Labor movements, plus the 1916 federalization and mobilization^[6] of the National Guard had left many states (and their municipalities) feeling unprepared to handle internal emergencies without organized security forces of their own.^[7]

In New York City, this perceived vulnerability was addressed by the 1916 formation of the Home Defense League under Police Commissioner Arthur H. Woods.^[8] That unit was reorganized in 1918 as the Reserve Police Force under Special Deputy Commissioner Rodman Wanamaker, and split into both a reserve component and a training corps.^[9] While the Reserve was a general-purpose body, SDC Wanamaker—an early aviation investor and friend of Glenn Curtiss—envisioned a volunteer aviation squadron within its ranks.^[10] External events, like the Black Tom explosion and specifically the Morgan Munitions Depot explosion, reinforced the need for such a capability. In the latter, private pilots at nearby Roosevelt Field were asked by New York City officials to survey the disaster in real-time. Their efforts provided valuable reconnaissance for firefighters on the ground and cemented the NYPD leadership's resolve to launch a professional air wing of its own.^[11]

One month later, the Armistice of November 1918 ended the war and brought home thousands of American servicemembers—many of them newly trained airmen who would soon participate in the booming US aviation industry. While the end of hostilities alleviated some national security concerns, Police leadership still realized that peacetime regulation would be needed as airplanes became mainstream technology. As Colonel Jefferson De Mont Thompson—soon to become New York's first chief of aerial police—put it, "If traffic rules and regulations are necessary to keep order where streets and courses are plainly marked, it is doubly important that there be those aloft invested with authority to preserve safety."^[11] In addition to regulatory enforcement, he laid out several potential missions for the fledgling unit including maritime search and rescue, riot control, and firefighting direction.

Formation

In December 1918 The New York Times announced the world's first Aerial Police Reserve,^[12][13] citing consultant and aviation journalist Henry Woodhouse:

A police department is very much in the position of a legislative body. If it is led by progressive men, it looks ahead into the future and adopts progressive measures to meet the conditions. If it is not progressive it waits until the need for measures is emphasized by harmful effects and then it tries to patch up the harm done. Considering the step taken by the New York City Police Department there is no gainsaying the fact that it belongs in the first category.

— Henry Woodhouse

On March 28, 1919, an initial cadre of 26 aerial police officers were sworn in from a pool of over 125 applicants.^[14] Colonel Jefferson De Mont Thompson was appointed Chief,^[15] and Granville A. Pollock its commanding officer.^[11] The unit's first official flight took place on April 30, 1919, from Sheepshead Bay Race Track destined for Philadelphia, PA.^[16]

Early visions of the unit's mission and tactics invoked a highly militarized tone; its first airplanes were armed with machine guns and tracer ammunition. Newspapers also imagined dogfights against "sky pirates"^[17] or the hunting-down of "river pirates" in the city's waterways,^[13] and even published headlines like "Armed With Machine Guns, They Open the Season's Campaign on Air Traffic Violators."^[18]

By May 1919, the reserve numbered 150 airmen and 7 Department-owned airplanes, each equipped with wireless telephones and telegraphs.^[11] In October of that year, the department announced recruitment for a new women's aviation corps.^[19] Laura Bromwell was the first graduate of this program, becoming the world's first aerial policewoman at 21 years of age.^[20]

The NYPD Annual Report for 1920 counted the unit's assets as two seaplanes, two landplanes, and three "flying stations" located on the Hudson River, at Fort Hamilton, and a site which eventually became Leif Ericson Park in Brooklyn.^[21]

Re-establishment

On July 12, 1939, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia re-established the Aviation Unit at Floyd Bennett Field under the command of Arthur W. Wallander. Coinciding with both the 1939 World's Fair and the reopening of LaGuardia Airport that summer, the department recruited a staff of 6 pilots and 6 mechanics to operate its two new Stinson Reliants.^[22] Early missions of the newly reformed unit included aerial photography, highway traffic reporting, and regulatory enforcement.^[23]

Law enforcement

Most of the unit's annual flight hours are accumulated through daily patrol duties,^[24] which often include general surveillance or support of NYPD street officers conducting manhunts and suspect pursuits. These missions are typically crewed by one Pilot-in-command and one Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) employing imaging and detection equipment like Wescam infrared cameras and Spectrolab searchlights.^[24][3] The unit's helicopters are also equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology providing real-time street grid and position data overlaid on multi-function displays (MFDs). Live video can be streamed to ground units and headquarters via a microwave data link.^[4]

Search and rescue

With the 1998 closure of CGAS Brooklyn and consolidation of Coast Guard air assets at CGAS Atlantic City,^[25] NYPD Aviation became the sole maritime search and rescue provider in the NYC metropolitan area. Tasked with responding to emergencies within 60 miles of the city,^[26] the unit's SAR helicopters are certified for instrument flight rules (IFR) and equipped with hoists, auto-hover functionality, and capacity for six rescue litters. As of 2013^[update], NYPD Aviation was also the only law enforcement agency in the US to maintain 24/7 SCUBA diving capability.^[24]

Counter-terrorism

In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the unit's focus increasingly shifted toward its counterterrorism mission. In 2003 it took delivery of a $9.8 million (equivalent to $16,231,693 in 2023) unmarked Bell 412EP, extensively outfitted with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) equipment, designated N23FH in honor of the 23 New York City police officers killed on September 11.^[27] In addition to advanced imaging and communication systems, the aircraft reportedly featured the ability to detect tracking beacons used by officers on the ground. After a decade of NYPD service, the helicopter was retired from the unit and replaced in January 2017 with a Cessna 208B Caravan. The new airplane was obtained with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) "Preparedness Grant" funding, and was delivered with airborne radiological detection capability. This unspecified equipment enables the airborne detection of dirty bombs from altitudes up to 200 feet (61 m) by, for example, overflying ships approaching New York Harbor.^[28]