Peoria to celebrate creation of public safety aviation unit and new helicopter

PHOENIX — The West Valley city of Peoria is ready to celebrate the creation of a public safety aviation unit and unveil its first aircraft.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Centennial Plaza amphitheater behind City Hall at 8401 W. Monroe St..

Mayor Jason Beck, Police Chief Thomas Intrieri and Fire-Medical Assistant Chief Justin Gorospe will be speaking at the morning event.

The trio will help reveal a Bell 505 helicopter, which was approved for purchase by the Peoria City Council in December 2023.

Coming soon to the @PeoriaAZ !!@PeoriaPoliceAZ & @PeoriaFire are excited for this addition to better serve our community! #PeoriaPDAZ #peoriapoliceaz #peoriaaz #aviation #helicopter 🚁 https://t.co/zkYrzTANmE

— Peoria Police (AZ) (@PeoriaPoliceAZ) August 3, 2024

City officials previously secured $3.5 million in state funding to buy the aircraft and establish an aviation unit.

The installment of a public safety aviation unit was a response to Peoria’s rapid growth. The unit will expand the city’s law enforcement capabilities, search and rescue services and firefighting efforts while decreasing response times.

“The city of Peoria is 180 square miles, with an overall planning area of 233 square miles, which is a lot of ground to cover for our public safety teams,” Beck said in a press release. “The Bell 505 aircraft is the perfect tool that will get our first responders on scene more quickly and ultimately save lives.”

The Peoria aviation unit is scheduled to be fully deployed by October 2025. Surrounding West Valley cities will be able to utilize it upon request.

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