A Met EC145 was in our neighbourhood this week and the only reason they needed to be low was to use their NiteSun to illuminate the ground for plods. In an area that has adequate street lights.
Good point Jim.
Only 6 months ago I asked the local council to put a shield on the lampost outside my house because of the light coming onto my property that I did not want. (which they did within 5 days!)
If it wasn't for people like me, Police units wouldn't have to spend thousands of tax payers pounds on silly nightsuns to find crims hiding in the shadows or other dark areas...street lighting is great for finding hidden crims!
Perhaps there could be a system, where in an area the local rozzers are looking for someone hiding in back gardens or in sheds, under trampolines or even in the dark alleyways, they could just turn up the intensity of the street lights!
Problems and money solved all round and no need to wake everyone up in the silly hours with a twin engined throbbing helichopter overhead!
I would have thought though, that with such an advanced machine, the Met could have been higher and on narrower beam!
What reason is there to go lower ?
If I'm up, I would like the public to know that we provide a service day/night/rain/shine....besides, with all those lights, we look pretty at night!
In addition, it gets more eyes on the ground!!