News/Police Chopper?

[TheHerbalist]

I saw on my local news this morning that the news station just purchased a new state of the art Bell Helicopter equipped with FLIR and all other gadgets.

My question is...Why would a news station need FLIR?

TheHerbalist Reviewed by TheHerbalist on 10-11-2007. News/Police Chopper? I saw on my local news this morning that the news station just purchased a new state of the art Bell Helicopter equipped with FLIR and all other gadgets. My question is...Why would a news station need FLIR? Rating: 5

[Me.]

I learned my police station traded their sniper rifle for a rocket launcher. (I know it sounds like bull but i've asked a cop i know and he says it's true.) Why in the hell would a town less than 800 need a rocket launcher? In case 7-11 gets robbed?
They just look for ways to spend money. It's all shenanigans.

[GrinS]

whats FLIR? explain.

[OLDE ENGLISH '800]

http://www.flir.com/imaging/Airborne/index.aspx

[TheHerbalist]

Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR)

It sees using heat imagery. Odd because our news choppers dont fly at night. Only the police are up there after the evening news goes off at 6p.

My theory is....

The police will ask them to fly at night and look for hotspots (HID lights in use). Pass the info back to them so they can snoop into it. It keeps them clean from unlawful use of FLIR. I bet they helped fund it as well.

[andruejaysin]

Possibly. But then maybe someone just thought it was a cool toy, and since it wasn't coming out of their pocket...

[Bong ripper420]

Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR)

My theory is....

The police will ask them to fly at night and look for hotspots (HID lights in use). Pass the info back to them so they can snoop into it. It keeps them clean from unlawful use of FLIR. I bet they helped fund it as well.

thats a great theory. and if it was true the news team with the chopper with FLIR would have a story no one else. in this day and age where anything qualifies as breaking news they could have hot stories.