Los Angeles police helicopters will not be responding to most emergencies near LAX for the time being, as federal aviation authorities are addressing safety concerns at one of the nation\u2019s busiest airports, the head of the LAPD\u2019s aerial division announced this week. <\/p>\n
In a department-wide memo Thursday, LAPD Capt. Jonathan Larsen wrote that the Federal Aviation Administration had \u201cimposed restrictions on Air Support operations and all general aviation\u201d in neighborhoods in Los Angeles International Airport airspace covering three entire police divisions \u2014 Newton, 77th Street, Southeast, historically among the city\u2019s busiest \u2014 and a portion of a fourth, Pacific.<\/p>\n
\u201cAir units will be restricted from responding to requests for service in the affected areas,\u201d wrote Larsen, the acting commanding officer of Air Support Division.<\/p>\n
That, he said, is \u201ceffective immediately and until further notice.\u201d <\/p>\n
A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson declined to respond to questions about what effect the restrictions would have on the department\u2019s operations, referring questions to the FAA.<\/p>\n
In its own statement, the FAA said that it would be restricting flights operating under so-called visual flight rules \u2014 also known as VFR, where pilots are responsible for watching out for and avoiding other aircraft and structures, as opposed to relying on instruments. The restrictions are part of a nationwide \u201csafety review of airports with mixed helicopter and airplane traffic,\u201d the agency said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhile we conduct this evaluation, air traffic controllers will more often prohibit VFR operators from entering LAX airspace based on the volume and complexity of traffic they\u2019re working, along with daily airspace occurrences including weather and any nearby construction,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n
The LAPD operates one of the largest municipal fleets in the country, which it says plays a valuable role in tracking crime suspects and patrolling the sprawling city. <\/p>\n
According to the department, helicopters are also deployed in a variety of support roles, including transporting supplies and serving as a commander\u2019s eyes in the sky during special events.<\/p>\n
The new no-fly zone includes certain low-income neighborhoods on the city\u2019s south end that a 2023 City Controller\u2019s office audit<\/a> found received an inordinate number of flyovers by LAPD helicopters. The highly critical report found that police airships spend less than half of their flight time responding to \u201chigh priority\u201d crimes \u2014 the rest was used for patrolling, responding to lower-level 911 calls, performing ceremonial flybys and ferrying around VIPs.<\/p>\n LAPD officials slammed that report as \u201chighly inaccurate,\u201d<\/a> and produced their own internal review that showed the amount of time helicopters spent in certain areas was proportionate with the amount of violent crime and gun violence there.<\/p>\n The federal review comes after a series of high-profile midair crashes and close calls reignited a nationwide debate over air safety. <\/p>\n In January, the FAA permanently banned helicopter traffic around Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., which had been operating under airspace restrictions for months following a midair crash between a commercial airliner and a military helicopter that killed 67. The agency this month has twice shut down airspace near the U.S.-Mexico border, most recently after the military mistakenly shot down<\/a> a Customs and Border Protection drone near El Paso.<\/p>\n The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board last month singled out Hollywood Burbank Airport<\/a> as having a concerning risk of a midair collision. The FAA has deemed the airport among its \u201chotspots\u201d with a high volume of mixed helicopter and airplane traffic.<\/p>\n