New York City Police Department Aviation Unit has goal law enforcement
The New York City Police Department Aviation Unit is a division of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) focused on airborne law enforcement and public safety.  Operating under command of the NYPD Special Operations Bureau, the unit frequently works alongside partner agencies like the NYPD Harbor Unit and United States Coast Guard (USCG) to service New York City and its surrounding waters.  The unit is headquartered at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, and boasts emergency response times within 8–10 minutes to most parts of the city.In March 2021, Airbus Helicopters responded to a request for proposal (RFP) from the unit to replace its Bell 412EP search and rescue helicopters with two new H175 models.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.  Early missions of the newly reformed unit included aerial photography, highway traffic reporting, and regulatory enforcement.Capabilities
Law enforcement
Most of the unit's annual flight hours are accumulated through daily patrol duties, 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.  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.