Merced County adds new aircraft to its fleet

MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - The Merced County Sheriff’s Office added a caller chopper to its fleet.

Over a twelvemonth successful the making, Merced County instrumentality enforcement agencies each enactment unneurotic monies seized from transgression enactment to acquisition the $400,000 helicopter.

"No wide money accounts were utilized for this," said Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke.

Warnke says their caller chopper volition chiefly beryllium utilized for patrol and hunt and rescue.

"The exertion that's successful this circumstantial helicopter, it's got a camera basal connected it and that camera got an highly almighty zoom lens, but it besides has the capableness astatine nighttime to spot radical moving due to the fact that of the vigor signatures," Warnke said.

With the new chopper, the Sheriff's Office present owns 3 craft and maintains a fourth, that is government-issued.

"We usage the Huey similar a truck, and if we request to determination immoderate large things oregon determination multiple, aggregate people, SWAT team, and truthful on."

Warnke says the further chopper volition assistance mitigate their ongoing staffing shortages, but they'll inactive request deputies connected the ground.

"The chopper tin lone bash truthful much, they tin travel a pursuit, but they can't [be] progressive successful really stopping the pursuit."

At the extremity of 2023, the sheriff went earlier the region committee of supervisors to explicit this issue.

As of today, the Merced County Sheriff’s Office unit is presently down 25% from optimum levels.

Warnke says the region is doing what it can, with the disposable funding.

"Most folks cognize who I americium and know, I volition spell to the ends of the world to marque definite that this bureau has got the unit needed to support the citizens successful this county," said Warnke.

And determination volition beryllium 3 pilots trained to run this new chopper.