Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) is exploring ways to replace the Metro 2 helicopter that was destroyed when it crashed last July, killing all four officers who were aboard.
"The loss of Metro 2 and our four fallen heroes is a major tragedy for us," Sheriff Manny Gonzales III said at a recent news conference, according to KOAT 7 Action News.
Most importantly were the lives lost. Undersheriff Larry Koren, Lt. Fred Beers, Deputy Michael Levison and Rescue Specialist Lt. Matthew King all perished in the crash. Losing the helicopter was a blow to the department as well.
BCSO owns two backup aircraft but doesn’t have a pilot because Koren was the department's only pilot and Beers was in the process of becoming a pilot. Sheriff Manny Gonzales said a comprehensive plan is being developed for an air unit.
BCSO officials visited the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department in September to witness how it operates its air support unit.
"They have a platform that best resembles ours,” Gonzales said at the news conference, according to KOAT 7 Action News. “Their aerial support to regional enforcement agency approach, ASTREA is probably one of the most proactive and advanced type programs in the country.”
The goal, Gonzales said, is to learn and bring home an idea of how to cultivate their own air program in Bernalillo County.
BCSO's two backup units for air support are a fixed Wing Cessna and an A-Star E3 helicopter. Gonzales said both can only do law enforcement duties like helping deputies on the ground. Neither can perform search-and-rescue or wildland operations.
Metro 2, the helicopter destroyed in the crash, was a Huey and able to perform all of those duties, making BCSO's Air Unit one of the most diverse in the region.
Gonzales also said the department is thinking about investing in two helicopters instead of a high-end one. One would be used for rescue missions, the other for wildfires.