The protection of VIPs is always a challenging mission for law enforcement, both in terms of resources needed and in the political arena. Ground units, including patrol, motorcycles, highway units, specialized response teams and aviation units all must work together as a team to provide protection for all different types of heads of state, celebrities and other VIPs. In some cases, the nature of the visiting official has strong political undertones and the protecting agency must be sensitive and careful in their interactions and dealings with a VIP.
The Aviation Protection Objective
Naturally, Aviation Units are usually heavily involved in dignitary protection, especially in motorcade escort. When a particular VIP is "on the move", the aviation resource will be tasked with providing advance surveillance. This means that the aviation asset will fly ahead of the motorcade. The aviation crew looks for the anything that can impede, delay or cause a safety issue for the motorcade. Although their most important concern, criminal threats to the motorcade are not the aircrew's only concern. Obviously, the aircrew looks for such threats as snipers or other suspicious persons but they also relay such information as traffic conditions.
Most agencies do a superb job in securing a motorcade route, however we know all the dynamics of police work and the situation is always changing. Is that just a disabled car or is the driver strapped with an IED, ready and waiting to launch a homicidal attack? Other emergencies can influence the safety and security of a motorcade including car accidents, fires, spontaneous demonstrations against the VIP and even such bizarre problems as two motorcades crossing each other with opposing heads of state! The last thing a motorcade wants is to stop or become bogged down.
Much of the safety in a motorcade is in their constant motion, so excellent route intelligence is crucial for the safety of the VIP. The aviation unit can see any advance problems, as well as suggest alternative routing (if not already pre-planned). It is imperative that communications be established with various units within the motorcade. If a last minute problem is seen, there may be precious few minutes to relay this information to the motorcade. For example, a car fire on a highway overpass is causing traffic to become stopped. Although the highway remains clear, the car fire must be dealt with in two ways: one, the fire itself must be extinguished, and two, the care fire must be looked at from the dignitary protection perspective. Is the car fire a threat? Is it a distraction to slow down the motorcade? Is it designed to draw resources and attention away from the protection mission?
A more dramatic example of a problem is a couple hundred protestors flood a highway causing all traffic to stop. This information must be quickly relayed to the motorcade for alternate routing. While the demonstration itself might not pose a threat, the danger of a stuck motorcade on a highway being ambushed is high. Another common scenario: a person opens a window from a apartment for a better look at the motorcade, fortunately, the only thing they usually shoot is a camera, but it must be investigated quickly and thoroughly.
The Threat from the Sky
Not all threats are ground based. In the case of the President of the United States, normally a flight restriction, consisting of a 30 mile ring is implemented. All aircraft except for commercial airlines and/or screened general aviation aircraft are prohibited from flying in this 30 mile ring. If an airspace violator is observed, the aviation unit, already monitoring the air traffic control frequency, will be the first to know and can relay this information to the motorcade. Thankfully, most of these incidents turn out to be aircraft that have entered the frozen zone by mistake; it certainly does pose a risk. In the case of a hostile target, the local law enforcement unit is unlikely to engage the target. The very capable US military, providing combat air patrol will likely respond and neutralize any target deemed to be a threat.
Be Prepared!
As always, the aviation unit never knows what challenge will come their way. During President Bush's (senior) term in office, his wife Barbara visited New York City as part of her duties as First Lady. The plan was to have her fly from New York City to Stewart Airport, a large airport about 50 miles north of New York City in one of the helicopters provided by the US Air Force HMX Unit, the official squadron for all high profile dignitaries including the President of the United States. Due to a series of mechanical problems with the HMX fleet, the NYPD Police Aviation Unit was called on to actually fly the First Lady! In addition to being a great honor, the NYPD Aviation Unit made history in the fact that it became the first non-military unit to be used on an official White House Mission. No, the NYPD did not get to use an Air Force call sign!
No matter whom the dignitary is, law enforcement does a superb job of keeping them safe. Airborne law enforcement is one of the assets that play a crucial role in carrying out this assignment effectively.
