Officers rappel from a helicopter at Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport yesterday during a drill involving crime and accident scenarios as the city launched its first police choppers. Three copters have been delivered, and another is on order.

Shanghai police put their first helicopter team into the air yesterday during a drill centered around crime and accident scenarios.

The city has received three choppers so far, and another is on order. They'll be used as eyes in the sky during major events such as next year's World Expo, for fire and accident rescues and for deploying officers quickly against criminals and terrorists.

The chopper team now has two light-duty EC135s and one medium-sized EC155, made by Eurocopter Group, a France-based plane maker. The copters can carry two pilots and six to 12 passengers.

The team now has 15 pilots, and its total staff of 50 is expected to double in the near future, police officials said. A fourth helicopter, a light-duty EC120, will arrive from Eurocopter later this year, city police said.

Source: Shanghai Daily