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New CMPD helicopter equipped with state-of-the-art features

CMPD's chopper, nicknamed Snoopy, will have an HD video camera, as well as an HD thermal imager to help officers track suspects in the dark.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department announced it has received a new helicopter that will give officers more tools for tracking down wanted suspects. 

CMPD's aviation unit is responsible for nearly 200 arrests this year, 81 vehicles recoveries and locating 38 missing people. The unit's new 2021 Bell 407 GXi helicopter is equipped with the latest technology and features to help officers perform their duty in an efficient manner. 

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The new features include an HD video camera that will allow CMPD to see and record events in greater detail, plus an HD thermal trigger to locate heat sources when vision is impaired at night. CMPD's new chopper also has a digital microwave video downlink to provide video to the department's command center for coordinating efforts. 

CMPD's old helicopter received some tech upgrades in 2019, including an HD infrared camera to track suspects in the dark. The chopper's cameras can also zoom in on a license plate, allowing officers to read it from as far as 1,500 feet away.

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Any person with information about any crimes or other incidents is asked to call CMPD's anonymous Crime Stoppers tip line at 704-334-1600.

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