Visitors to the planned National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, DC, will get a good look at what airborne law enforcement is all about, thanks to a generous donation from Bell Helicopter. Bell, a Textron Inc. company, is donating one of its 206B helicopters to the Museum, the company announced during the annual Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA) Conference held earlier this month in Houston, Texas.
Paul Pitts, Bell's Director for Homeland Security, stated, "Bell is proud to be associated with the National Law Enforcement Museum and its commitment to telling the story of law enforcement in America."
Bell is celebrating its 60-year history of supplying helicopters to law enforcement agencies around the world. Starting with a Bell 47 flying with the New York Police, Bell today has a wide range of products performing law enforcement missions, including the Bell 206 that has become an industry standard.
"For decades now, helicopters have played a pivotal role in American law enforcement, supporting everything from tactical operations and rescue missions to traffic enforcement and the safe apprehension of fugitives," said Craig W. Floyd, chairman and CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, which is leading the effort to build the first-ever National Law Enforcement Museum.
"Thanks to this generous donation from Bell Helicopter, visitors to the Museum will be able to see and appreciate the important and often dangerous work that is performed by our airborne law enforcement professionals," Floyd added.
For more information, including a virtual tour of the Museum, visit www.LawEnforcementMuseum.org.