I want to address recent questions regarding the presence of the Peoria Public Safety Air Unit at a conference in Texas, and clarify the resources utilized in the recent missing person investigation involving Luke Wuennenberg, who returned on his own safely Thursday evening.
Our Air Unit left Glendale Airport on March 5, and transported our staff members to the Vertican 2025 Conference in Dallas, Texas. Given that our Aviation Unit is still in the Training and Development phase, this was an excellent opportunity for our personnel to be trained on our own equipment at a minimal cost to the city. Since forming in August 2024, the Air Unit has been employed on eight successful life-saving mission-related calls over the past few months while out on training flights. Again, this was a result of their mandatory training flights (to accumulate hours in the helicopter) coupled with timing and opportunity to assist patrol at that moment.
Luke Wuennenberg was reported missing on March 8. He was described to be healthy and an avid hiker. As a result of our investigation, we were able to leverage strong partnerships with neighboring agencies to aid in the search as we have in the past. The following resources were deployed:
• Phoenix Firebird — Provided aerial search support.
• Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue (Mounted Unit) — Assisted in ground searches.
• Arizona Department of Corrections Bloodhounds — Aided in tracking efforts
• Peoria Police Officers — Conducted extensive ground searches.
• Peoria Police Drones — Supplemented search efforts
• Peoria Citizens — Supplemented search efforts by conducting area ground searches.
Our ability to call upon these resources directly results from the strong mutual aid relationships we maintain with agencies across the Valley. These partnerships are invaluable, allowing us to assist each other in critical situations and ensuring the best possible service to our communities.
Additionally, I want to emphasize the importance of our staff’s presence at the Verticon 2025 Conference in Dallas, Texas. This premier event focuses on enhancing vertical aviation and offers our pilots and maintenance personnel vital certification training designed for law enforcement aviation needs.
Key Benefits of
his training include:
• Elevations Courses: These are educational sessions led by industry experts, ensuring our staff stays informed on the latest advancements and best practices in vertical aviation.
• Foundations Challenge: Interactive exercises designed to enhance our team’s knowledge and preparedness for real-world scenarios.
• Manufacturer Technical Briefings: These are direct presentations from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that provide critical maintenance and technical updates to keep our aircraft in top condition.
• Inspection Authorization (IA) Renewal Opportunities: Sessions that offer credits for renewing inspection authorization certificates, ensuring our inspectors maintain industry-required qualifications.
Participation in Verticon 2025 is not just about education; it is a strategic investment in the effectiveness and safety of our Air Unit and our community. This training provides our staff with FAA-required in-flight training hours, ensuring our pilots continue developing their skills in a controlled and structured environment. Additionally, the Verticon Conference requested the presence of our BELL 505 with the agreement they assume all costs related to the helicopter, and the costs associated for the attendance at the conference for our two pilots. Subsequently, our folks have the value of training on our own helicopter, which is a tremendous value.
BELL was contractually obligated to assume costs for our two pilots, ($5,200) for their attendance and training. The actual flight to Dallas provided FAA-required in-service training hours for our pilots. Three additional personnel attended the conference for trainings which pertained to aviation safety, aviation mechanics, aviation operations risk management, and rescue landings and situational rescue operations protocols. BELL is also reimbursing the city for fuel costs associated with the trip (approximately $2,000.) Additionally, BELL will provide our Aviation Unit with an additional $21,000 (20+ hours) in future trainings to enhance safety and effectiveness in our public safety airborne operations.
Your Peoria Police Department is committed to providing the best possible service to the community, and this investment in our Aviation Unit reflects that dedication. Our partnerships with fellow law enforcement agencies will continue to be an integral part of our efforts to provide the best public safety services within the City of Peoria, and our commitment to the community is to ensure that our access to resources is never compromised.
