LANCASTER – The ‘Eye in the Sky’ saved countless man hours Tuesday morning, when the aircraft was able to quickly locate a distraught man thought to be suicidal, authorities said.
The following is the press release from the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station:
Lancaster Station received a call of a distraught man who was threatening to commit suicide shortly after 9 Tuesday morning.
The caller said that the man claimed he was armed with a shotgun and was driving his van out to the desert, where he planned to commit suicide.
Using the GPS signal from the distraught man’s cell phone, it was determined that the man was somewhere in the Antelope Acres area.
Using the city of Lancaster’s, Law Enforcement Aerial Platform System or “LEAPS” equipped aircraft, Lancaster Station’s watch deputy quickly located the van, which was driving north on 110th Street West from Avenue L, and directed the responding ground units to the van’s location.
Once on scene, the ground units stopped the van on 110th Street West, near Avenue I.
Deputies quickly learned that the man was very distraught; however, he was not armed. The man was transported to a local hospital for a physiological evaluation.
Lancaster Station Captain, Bob Jonsen, commented that by using the LEAPS airplane, [deputies] were able to save countless man hours and valuable resources searching for the vehicle.
He added that he was very pleased that the incident ended safely.
Related articles:
Progress report on “Eye in the Sky”
LEAPS aids capture of double murder suspect
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MR ANTELOPE VALLEY says
hmmmmmmmmmm ok
:( says
If we have 90,000 tax paying Americans adults out of the 150,000 living in Lancaster, Rex and his merry Pranksters (all apologizes to Tom Wolf) are costing each and every one about $26 bucks a year to spy on themselves!
$300,000 in business welfare to a car dealership adds another $3.33 this year. Than we got Rex’s measure L. $36/38 per $100,000 in house worth, so lets say most folks live in a $200,000 house, $72+3.33+26=$101.33. $101.33 this year alone in just 3 of Rex’s projects per tax payer (I’m being generous in how many tax payers we have)
Aren’t ya glad we voted in a fiscal conservative? And we sent his butt buddy to Sac?
This doesnt include the $25,000 to any restaurant that agrees to open its doors in Lancaster. Or the money he handed out to redo facades on the blvd.
But the big one is the $460,000,000 in redevelopment debt these boys have ran up. Sounds large doesnt it? No worrys tho. That only comes to $5,111 per tax payer. Didn’t they sit in a council meeting assuring each other that none of them were responsible for the loss of $50 million? Never did figure out what that was about.
The park for 2 churches? $5.5 million. Wish I could use it. It only cost me $61 in tax dollars, so I guess I shouldn’t complain.
Guess unlike the state, and that bastard moonbeam, Lancaster has cash to burn!
Gladys says
Great assessment. Are you ready for all the fact checkers?
William says
When I moved to Palmdale in 1990, I had to travel to Lancaster for most things, shopping, dining, doctors, the old SEARS, etc.
Over the next few years, I noticed how poorly planned Lancaster was. Lancaster Boulevard was a ‘dead zone’, and there were scattered, so-so, shopping centers around town but no real there there.
I started to conclude that the powers in L-town ran the place for themselves. I was guessing that whoever owns valuable land got city assistance for the development (like the area on 10th across from the park) or whatever as it made no sense the way the city was being developed. Compare Lancaster to the area around the Mall or out at 47th Street East. Lancaster is piece-meal with no real focal points or any visible results of ‘intelligent design’ despite the influence of the LBC.
The BLVD is in an inconvenient location away from the freeway.
The Valley Central Way and the movie theaters still have the look of being in a recession. Not a vibrant shopping area.
Plus, Parris and the council have done so many sleazy things over the last few years like the car dealership business. I would never buy a Chevy in Lancaster and if I had one, I wouldn’t get it serviced there. If a business gives off the smell of shady dealings, I won’t visit them.
MR ANTELOPE VALLEY says
@ turd ferguson u have issuse with leaps just saying lol
Gladys says
I think lots of people have a problem the huge amount of money spent on LEAPS with nothing to show for it and the possible breach of personal privacy. I don’t especially have a problem with it, however, it would be nice to read a story about it playing a key role in the aprehension of some robbers/car thieves or other criminals.
MR ANTELOPE VALLEY says
wow they yet used that to find somone who wanted to commit suicide but yet they dont use that to search and find crime wow what a shock
Turd Ferguson says
MR ANTELOPE VALLEY,That is not true.LEAPS is used to find crime.LEAPS is used 10 hours a day to fight crime.LEAPS cost $90,000.00 a month to fight crime.But it does not seem to work.LEAPS does not seem to be fighting crime.LEAPS is up in the air and so is our crime rate.LEAPS is good for sending GPS coordinates to sherriffs.LEAPS is good for flying over an apartment and taking video picture.LEAPS is good business for its owners.LEAPS is a waste of our money.$90,000.00 a month for what.LEAPS should be replaced with sherriffs.We have great sherriffs.We need more great sherriffs.No to LEAPS.Yes to sherriffs.Boots on the ground.Boots on the ground.
Concerned says
Really? Nothing better to do with the expense? Now the Big Brother Eye is spying on individuals? What is this…Nazi Germany? How about busting the drug houses? And why wasn’t it used to find the 2 month old baby in another article?
Turd Ferguson says
We need a new name for LEAPS.We should not call it LEAPS.We should call it JOKE.Because it is a JOKE.$90,000.00 a month for nothing.$90,000.00 a month that could pay for more deputies.We already have aerial help in our sherriffs contract.We do not need LEAPS.Or now JOKE.We need more sherriffs.Say no to LEAPS.Say no to $90,000.00 going to a useless project because they are friends of our mayor.No more LEAPS.
Turd Ferguson says
This is it?This is it?This is what we are paying $90,000.00 a month for?This is what LEAPS does for $90,000.00 a month?LEAPS is a joke.LEAPS is a joke.For $5,000.00 a month,I will take the GPS coordinates of lost people and text them to all our sherriffs.It would be cheaper than LEAPS.It would be as fast as LEAPS.This is what we are paying $90,000.00 a month for?$90,000.00 a month to forward GPS coordinates?What a joke.LEAPS is a joke and a SCAM!We have great sherriffs.We need more sherriffs.We need more boots on the ground.No to LEAPS for $90,000.00 a month.Yes to more sherriffs.LEAPS is a scam.Who owns the LEAPS company?Follow the money.Follow the money.Quit being sheeple.Quit being sheeple.LEAPS is a joke.LEAPS is a joke.Why do other cities not want LEAPS?Why is our city the only city with LEAPS?Because they know LEAPS is a joke.A $90,000.00 a month joke.The joke is on us.The joke is on us.We pay for LEAPS.LEAPS is a joke.
... says
Turd, you never seem to get any smarter here. As you have been told before, the helicopter is not “free” either. They pay for that by the hour as well. And Lancaster is not the only city that has a leaps type of plane. They’re just the first one you may be familiar with. If you want to make complaints, great… just know what you’re talking about first.
Turd Ferguson says
….Who else has LEAPS?Who else has LEAPS?Who else is paying $90,000.00 a month to tell sherriffs cars where to drive to when anyone with a phone could do that and not spend $90,000.00 a month?Who else does not have a sherriffs heliocopter at their disposal for less than $90,000.00 a month.$99,000.00 a month.That is what we pay for LEAPS.For what?To tell a sherriffs car where to drive to from a cell phone GPS?LEAPS is a joke.Please do not tell me I cannot complain.I pay taxes.I pay taxes.I can complain about whatever I want.I choose to complain about LEAPS and what I know about LEAPS.Here is what I know about LEAPS.LEAPS cost $90.000.00 a month.Crime has gone up since we have had LEAPS.LEAPS has not stopped a crime.LEAPS is only in the air 10 hours a day.What happens if a crime happens when LEAPS is not in the air?What would happen if that person is LEAPS was not in the air?I will tell you what would happen to that person is LEAPS was not in the air.They would call the sherriffs on the phone and tell then where to drive.For less than $90,000.00 a month.How many sherriffs could we hire for $90,000.00 a month?We need sherriffs.We do not need LEAPS.Does Los Angeles have LEAPS?Does Santa Clarita have LEAPS?Does Palmdale have LEAPS?Does California City have LEAPS?Does Bakersfield have LEAPS?Does Pasadena have LEAPS?Does Irvine have LEAPS?Does Stockton have LEAPS?Does Fresno have LEAPS?Does Anaheim have LEAPS?Does Jamul have LEAPS?Does Rosamond have LEAPS?Does La Puente have LEAPS?Does Santa Barbara have LEAPS?Does Victorville have LEAPS?Does Apple Valley have LEAPS?Does San Bernardino have LEAPS?These cities do not have LEAPS.They have $90,000.00 more a month to fight crime.LEAPS is a joke.A joke.LEAPS was forced upon us.Let us vote on LEAPS.Let us vote on LEAPS.See if we want to spend $90,000.00 a month on LEAPS.Or if we want to spend $90,000.00 a month on sherriffs.Sherriffs jobs.Frank Visco has a job.He does not need money from LEAPS.LEAPS is a joke.
... says
You think that’s all this thing is doing is “telling a car where to drive to a cell phone GPS”? No. You just don’t hear about the other things it is doing. Neither will I. Police don’t normally talk about what their surveillance tactics are. These press releases? Pure politics. Doesn’t mean that’s all this thing is doing.
You said:
“LEAPS is only in the air 10 hours a day.What happens if a crime happens when LEAPS is not in the air?”
Ok, so how many hours per day is the helo up here? What happens if a crime happens when the helo is not here? The answers are the same.
You then listed a whole bunch of city names, asking if they had Leaps. If you’re really asking whether other cities have their own airplane with camera similar to this, the answer is yes. Look it up.
Sure, this thing costs a lot of money, but the question is, is it worth it? You wouldn’t know, and neither would I, since we’re not the ones using it. Want to complain about it? Fine, but first get the facts. If it’s not being used, and the sheriff says its useless, then we have a right to complain. But I suspect its uses are not all being publicized. You don’t hear what narco or the detective bureau is up to on a daily basis either. Now, if you have fact to base your complaints on, please share them. Even a layman such as I can see the benefit of being able to see something before patrol cars can be on scene. Even I can see the benefit of an aerial view of something to help law enforcement. Come to think of it, that’s exactly what the helo does when its here. Why do you not complain about that, or its cost?
Ok, there are many people who just plain hate government and Parris in particular. But there are many of us who don’t share your same feelings. Your complaining sounds like a “Parris is involved therefore I hate it” kind of a thing.
By the way, have you posted how much the helo costs per hour yet? How many hours per day is it here actually in the air over the city ready to respond immedately?
Turd Ferguson says
…I do not hate government.Ronald Smith said he hates government.I am not Ronald Smith.I hate wasteful spending.LEAPS is wasteful spending.%90.000.00 a month for what?$90,000.00 a month to relay a GPS coordinate?That could have been done with a cell phone.A cell phone.For less than $90.000.00 a month.LEAPS is a failure.LEAPS is desperate to proves it’s worth.That is why we read about LEAPS sending GPS coordinates,not stopping crime.That is why we read about LEAPS and the storeowner and his alarm,not about stopping crime.That is why we read about aerial surveillance over an apartment building which could have been done with a heliocopter,not about stopping crime.LEAPS is desperate to tell a story about stopping crime.LEAPS has to tell stories about stopping crime so Frank Visco can sell his contraption to other misguided cities.LEAPS is a joke.LEAPS is a joke.An expensive joke.No one wants LEAPS.No one needs LEAPS.We have heliocopters when we need them.Which is rare.Less than $90,000.00 a month.LEAPS is a waste.LEAPS is a waste.
35&K. says
send him the bill and he will wish he had finished
david G says
Oh wow saved a drive out to 110th after they traced a ping from a satellite which would give GPS coordinates up to 3 metters. So what helped more the plane or satellite lol I call bull shet
Frank Rizzo says
Big brother wants to watch every move you make. That is the purpose of this plane and all the cameras at the stop lights and intersections. Who cares about being free just as long as I can smoke my dope and feel secure. Who cares about freedumb I love being a productive slave to this society the libs have made, its wonderful.
Forward says
last time I checked, Parris, Smith etc are Repub’s. Libs had nothing to do with this, pardner.
Turd Ferguson says
This is correct Forward.LEAPS was put in by Republicans.It goes against Republican beliefs.Republicans do not want to spend $90,000.00 a month on a worthless plane.That produces nothing.Republicans want to spend $90,000.00 a month smarter.So do Democrats.So do Independents.So do Libertarians.This could have been done without the $90,000.00 a month LEAPS.This could have been done with a car.This could have been done with a phone call.This could have been done with a sherriffs heliocopter.Which we already pay for.LEAPS is a joke.LEAPS is a joke.What is next for LEAPS?Will it help find a cat stuck in a tree?Will it help find a lost doggy?Will it help find lost car keys?Will it help find lost homework?LEAPS is a joke.LEAPS is a joke.
Otto says
Waste…let him do it, and save people who want to be saved.
Gladys says
I’m sure his family is glad he was helped. Hopefully he will have a better future than whatever drove him to feeling so helpless.
I can’t believe how hateful some people are on this website posting their comments.
T-Bone says
It’s not a comment about the person, it’s about the plane! My point is it is suppose to fight crime but have not heard a report of it doing that!
Gladys says
Wow, I thought it was to assist law enforcement when they needed assistance. Regardless, I am glad it was available to help someone since we are paying for it.
T-Bone says
My point is Ground It and stop trying to justify it. It is a waste! No one is safer because of it!
Gladys says
I do agree with that. My point was as I said, since the check was already written, use it for something… and I’m glad it did possibly save a life.
Quigley says
$90,000 a month for Rexipoo’s toy to fly over my house, every damn morning @ 7 AM, is a HUGE waste of taxpayer $$….let’s add it to the list of fools checkin the yes box!
Gladys says
Quigley, I agree. I am not infavor of the money spent on the plane. I stand naked in my backyard hoping to cause an accident! lol
Adam Chant says
Gladys, Your naked body wont have any effect on the aircraft since no one in it can see you. The video image is encrypted and transmitted to the Lancaster station where a deputy is observing it.
Kathy says
Why go to the effort? Because a dead [removed] is incapable of paying taxes.
T-Bone says
Ok, So you found someone who wanted to Kill themselves…What about helping the people who are killed, robbed, our assaulted that don’t want to be??? That’s what I want to here this dumb plane is doing!!
T-Bone says
Thanks for the help phone but no thanks. That would be or and hear!