Grand Prairie, TX – October 5, 2009 – During the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) convention in Denver, Colorado, today, American Eurocopter donated $10,000 to the Airborne Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (ALEAC). The donation will be used to offset the cost of law enforcement air unit accreditation and will be presented to qualifying agencies that successfully complete the accreditation process.
The ALEAC was founded in 2002 for the purpose of developing professional standards for all airborne law enforcement units including local, state and federal government agencies. These standards have been adopted by the Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA) as guidelines for starting new aviation units and as recommended best practices for review and adoption by all law enforcement aviation units.
The intent of the Accreditation Program is to encourage safe, efficient and accident free aviation operations in support of law enforcement missions. “We support the work that the ALEAC is doing and their goals to improve operational standards and safety within the Law Enforcement community,” said Larry Roberts, American Eurocopter Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Customer Support. “Safety continues to be a top priority at American Eurocopter and we look forward to working with ALEAC in our joint efforts to promote safety throughout the industry.”
Jim Di Giovanna is the President of the ALEAC and is a retired captain and former unit commander of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department’s Aero Bureau. “With the help of industry leaders like American Eurocopter, and through our Accreditation Program, we hope to work with the law enforcement community to institute an accepted set of ‘best practices’ that will be adopted by air units throughout the country and validated through our program of accreditation,” he explained.
The Accreditation Program is designed to objectively evaluate and certify a law enforcement air unit's overall compliance with the standards for air units as developed and adopted by the ALEAC and ALEA. Airborne law enforcement units can apply for accreditation on-line through the ALEA website. Once the application is received, the unit will be required to complete a Unit Information Form and conduct a self assessment of their operation as compared to the standards. A team of assessors will conduct on-site assessments, thoroughly evaluating all aspects of the unit's operation. The assessors' findings will be presented to the ALEAC Board of Commissioners for final approval.
About American Eurocopter
American Eurocopter is a helicopter manufacturer that produces, markets, sells and supports the broadest range of civil and para-public helicopters offered by any manufacturer in the United States. The company is a subsidiary of EADS North America Holdings, the North American operations of EADS, a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services, and is an affiliate of Eurocopter, the largest helicopter manufacturer in the world. American Eurocopter’s product line represents the most cost-effective, technologically-advanced helicopters, ranging from light single to heavy twin, serving all markets and missions. Company headquarters and main facilities are located in Grand Prairie, TX, with a large manufacturing and production facility in Columbus, MS, that produces the UH-72A for the U.S. Army’s Light Utility Helicopter program.
About the Airborne Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission
The Airborne Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (ALEAC) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization founded to enhance the safety of airborne law enforcement units through the development of operational standards. The Commission is made up of noted law enforcement aviation experts committed to working with the law enforcement aviation community to ensure that safe, effective, and efficient air support services are provided to the public. The ALEAC is a subsidiary of the Airborne Law Enforcement Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational, individual member organization founded in 1968 to support, promote and advance the safe and effective utilization of aircraft by law enforcement agencies in support of law enforcement missions though training, networking, advocacy, and educational programs. Additional information on both the ALEAC and ALEA can be found at www.alea.org.
