I find it incredulous that a police/hems driver hasn't mentioned the real reason for NOT winching from civvy cabs.
At the end of the day the Uk operator working under EASA regs [and this is the crippler - unlike our european friends who have seen the light and practice paramilitary ops] - we have to comply with JAR 3005.(h) as JimL said.
It's one of those paras anyway!
It requires those who winch for real, to train to winch in SSE mode. Plain and simple. You have to maintain SSE while trng to rapid rope/winch/etc.
All current light and medium twins in operation on mainland Uk are incapable of sustaining safe single engine in the hover while conducting training winch sorties including the 145. If you stripped it clean of everything including the kitchen sink, you moght be approaching somewhere near SSE but i doubt it. Certainly the 902/135 stables - forget it it is a non starter.
Failing that the emergency services are easily capable of doing everything necessary to offer winching/rapid roping as an option.
Interestingly - an operator is entitled to winch "in anger" in that IF they just happened to find a winch and attach it to their a/c for a regional disaster (flooding for example), they could save peoples lives that day, but it couldn't be sustained as a 'role' because they are not allowed to train in that role unless SSE!!! NUTS. Thats european law for you.
The met cab can't even come to the hover unless it's below a certain MAUM never mind winch!!!