It’s all about numbers, isn’t it? We are all watching Covid-19 infection numbers go up and down in different countries around the world, hoping that there will be a decline overall. Sadly, it seems that while eradication is possible for some, for others, where governments have not taken the words of scientists seriously enough, the number of people infected with Covid-19 continue to rise. It seems like we are going to be dealing with heightened infection control in the air ambulance and SAR sectors for a long time.

Meanwhile, police forces around the world have had a newfound celebrity – or notoriety. The actions of but a few, tragically, can tarnish a whole sector with the same brush. Police aviators continue to work tirelessly to perform their jobs safely, but with funding being decreased dramatically in some areas of the US, budgets are being tightened and pressure put on forces to do their jobs with fewer resources.

This issue of AirMed&Rescue focuses on police aviation – the assets belonging to US Customs and Border Protection; the San Diego Police Aviation Unit, crew resource management for pilots flying law enforcement missions, and insurance for aircraft performing such tasks.

Elsewhere, there are features on the dangers of overreliance on cockpit automation, and the complexities of managing a multi-agency response to a natural disaster.

To read the July 2020 Police Aviation Edition click here