Reading this thread always leaves me with the impression that is full of a bunch of whinging misfits. Police aviation is about protecting the public. Catching scrotes or finding misters etc. the ****e talked about IFR and the benefits it offers to police ops is dangerous. Having spent a fair chunk of time flying VFR and IFR I would state that if you are not in very regular practice in either discipline you will struggle. Converting VFR to IFR on an op like police and EMS is fraught with risks and probably scuppers the very urgency required of the task. Converting IFR to VFR…..best done during an IAP, or above MSA (so why not remain VFR).
in my day we got airborne as fast as possible, gripped and ripped it to the task with the ground in plain sight. You can’t catch a scrote in a cloud. Giving a police pilot who’s normal role is VFR and IR is like handing a loaded gun to………….an actor! Eventually he will try to use it.