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Old 12-02-2010, 03:45 PM
 
3 posts, read 23,379 times
Reputation: 13

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Hi,

I reside in west San Fernando Valley, and I'm curious to find out why the heck do police helicopters fly over and circle around for a looong time when there is apparently nothing going on.

No police sirens so I assume nothing's going on.

Do they just fly over to check around (for what?) or is there something going on every day?

I don't mind too much in the day time but I'm starting to get sick of it during the night time...

Is this normal for this area or a recent occurrence? It's like every day...
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Old 12-02-2010, 04:04 PM
 
Location: Full Time: N.NJ Part Time: S.CA, ID
6,116 posts, read 12,590,425 times
Reputation: 8687
Its kind if naive to assume nothing is going on because you don't hear sirens.

I made similar comments in this recent thread: http://www.city-data.com/forum/los-a...pter-over.html


I'm sure there is a reason - most police departments don't let guys fly around burning fuel (money) just for the fun of it. They are either training or providing some other kind of support for ground officers.

How do you know they're police? Do you live near an airport?
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Old 12-02-2010, 05:07 PM
 
Location: Las Flores, Orange County, CA
26,329 posts, read 93,734,875 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1200RT View Post
Do you live near an airport?
In the West SFV?
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Old 12-02-2010, 05:08 PM
 
3 posts, read 23,379 times
Reputation: 13
No I don't believe they are military helicopters.

I believe they are police helicopters because usually I see red and blue lights.... I'm not an expert but I assume that's police.

No airports near my area, I live on the westside of the SFV.

Do they call in a chopper when thieves steal something from a 7-11, I mean I don't understand why it's almost a daily occurrence.
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Old 12-02-2010, 05:41 PM
 
276 posts, read 1,018,765 times
Reputation: 277
They do it to keep you annoyed and in line!

Just kidding
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Old 12-02-2010, 06:38 PM
 
Location: SoCal
14,530 posts, read 20,112,106 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jackx View Post
I reside in west San Fernando Valley, and I'm curious to find out why the heck do police helicopters fly over and circle around for a looong time when there is apparently nothing going on.
They do it for no apparent reason because they don't see fit to inform you of every reason for every helicopter mission. Get a police scanner.

Jeez, you're complaining! I live just west of the Van Nuys airport and I get dozens of flyovers every night. I don't like it but I'm not going to whine about it.

This is life in the big bad city. Deal with it. If you don't like it then move, like I'm planning to do, because (in my case) I don't like life in the big bad city. But I'm not going to whine.
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Old 12-02-2010, 09:30 PM
 
Location: Full Time: N.NJ Part Time: S.CA, ID
6,116 posts, read 12,590,425 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles View Post
In the West SFV?
van nuys?

Quote:
Originally Posted by jackx View Post
I believe they are police helicopters because usually I see red and blue lights.... I'm not an expert but I assume that's police.
Police aviation units have zero need for blue/red lights for law enforcement purposes. You're probably seeing FAA required anti-collision lights which are necessary on all aircraft. They are red and green.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jackx View Post
No airports near my area, I live on the westside of the SFV.
See above, but i have no idea where you live.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jackx View Post
Do they call in a chopper when thieves steal something from a 7-11, I mean I don't understand why it's almost a daily occurrence.
We live in a huge city, with a lot of crime. There are also dozens of new helicopters flying around, doing traffic and news reporting. Law enforcement operations can be anything from tracking a special operation assignment, stolen vehicle, or runner. Fire agencies use helicopters to track fire and fire danger. CHP uses helicopters (and fixed wing aircraft) for speed enforcement, tracking commercial vehicles and accident investigations.

The point is, there are tons of reasons for helicopters to be out-and-about. They are not necessarily Police (although they very well could be).
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Old 12-02-2010, 11:22 PM
 
Location: NoHo (North Hollywood)
448 posts, read 1,605,558 times
Reputation: 262
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1200RT View Post
The point is, there are tons of reasons for helicopters to be out-and-about. They are not necessarily Police (although they very well could be).
That's a good point. Some people think that they hear a lot of police cars in an area and think the area is bad, when in fact most of the sirens are caused by fire trucks.

On a separate note, Encino (West SFV) gets some noise from the Van Nuys airport, so that may be contributing.
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Old 12-02-2010, 11:27 PM
 
Location: NoHo (North Hollywood)
448 posts, read 1,605,558 times
Reputation: 262
Here's a good article. Just call the phone number in the article and they will tell you why a helicopter is flying overhead (assuming that it's the police).

How to Find Out Why an LAPD Helicopter is Circling Above Your Home - LAist
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Old 12-03-2010, 01:12 AM
 
4,031 posts, read 4,459,910 times
Reputation: 1886
They are all over Brentwood especially near Sunset and the 405. All Night! All kinds of helicopters. I have even scene black UN helicopters, and this wier thing that looks like a UFO that huvers over the place.
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