The San José Police Department has a new home base for the helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft that patrol the skies over Silicon Valley. The department announced it had opened an 11,000-square-foot hangar for its Air Support Unit, calling the project a long-awaited upgrade funded through the city's Measure T bond program.
“Today we celebrated the opening of the long-awaited new home for our SJPD Air Support Unit,” the department wrote in a statement posted to X, adding that the facility “marks another significant investment in San José's public safety infrastructure through Measure T, continuing the City's work to modernize facilities that meet the evolving” needs of the department, according to the San Jose Police Dept
. The new hangar will accommodate the unit's AIR3 helicopter as well as a new fixed-wing aircraft that is expected to enter full service soon, per the department's announcement.
What the Air Support Unit Actually Does
The Air Support Unit's job is broader than just chasing down suspects from above. According to the San Jose Police Department, the unit's primary purpose is to provide aerial services not just for SJPD but for other agencies across Santa Clara County, with a main objective of supporting ground officers on matters of public and officer safety.
The department's page notes that an emphasis is placed on pursuits, apprehending fleeing suspects and searching for missing persons considered “at risk.” The unit currently flies an Airbus AS-350, staffed by one sergeant, two officer pilots and two officer tactical observers, and the helicopter known as AIR-3 normally flies seven days a week when it isn't down for maintenance, the department's page states.
A Measurable Track Record in the Sky
The unit's numbers help explain why city officials frame the new hangar as an infrastructure priority rather than a cosmetic upgrade. In 2023, AIR 3 was responsible for recovering roughly a third of San José's reported stolen vehicles that resulted in an arrest, the department has said. The following year, the department reported that AIR 3 had responded to 898 calls for service, a tally that included assists to outside law-enforcement agencies and the San Jose Fire Department.
That mutual-aid role has played out in dramatic fashion before. On August 10, 2024, AIR 3 assisted the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office in rescuing a stranded and injured hiker, the department reported, noting that the aircraft is trained and certified to conduct short-haul rescues. The unit's 2022 operations manual describes its mission even more broadly, stating that it provides aerial support and expertise for the Bureau of Field Operations, the Bureau of Investigations, and administrative and city-government needs, using both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
Rules of the Air and the Fleet's Evolution
Even with its wide mission, the unit's flights are not unregulated. The operations manual specifies that normal operations must comply with existing department policies as well as Federal Aviation Regulations. SJPD also classifies AIR3 as a Public Aircraft Operation used for law-enforcement purposes, according to the department's special operations page.
This isn't the first time the unit has upgraded its equipment. Back in 2018, SJPD replaced its previous helicopter, Air2, with the current AIR3 aircraft, a move the Mercury News reported at the time could expand the unit's capabilities to include cliff-side rescue operations and water drops on wildfires.
Where the Money Comes From
The new hangar's funding traces back to a 2018 ballot measure. Measure T authorized the City of San José to issue up to $650 million in general-obligation bonds to finance disaster preparedness, public safety and infrastructure projects, according to the City of San José. Public safety has been a recurring beneficiary of those bond dollars: San Jose Spotlight has reported that Measure T recommendations have included money to cover potential construction cost increases for four stations, funding for a patrol unit to occupy a police station, and more than $2.2 million for a police-headquarters upgrade.
Other cities have made similar bets on dedicated police aviation facilities. In nearby Southern California, the Burbank/Glendale Police Air Support Facility opened as a permanent base featuring a 13,300-square-foot hangar, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times. San José's new facility, while smaller at 11,000 square feet, follows that same logic: a fixed, modern home base built to keep a regional air unit flying reliably.
For now, SJPD has not detailed the hangar's exact location, construction cost or completion timeline beyond the announcement itself. What the department has made clear is its framing of the project: an investment meant to keep its aircraft, and the officers and tactical observers who crew them, watching over San José from above for years to come.
