On Thursday, Canterbury District Commander Superintendent John Price said in a statement the Eagle recently played a a key role in an operation that led to nine gang members being arrested and charged. Firearms, drugs and ammunition were also seized following the arrests.
It comes after a petition was launched today calling for the Eagle to stop roaming the skies at all hours. The petition, which can be found here, had received more than 160 signatures on Thursday morning.
However, Superintendent Price said the Eagle is a valuable police asset in response to organised crime.
"The technology on board can provide police with intelligence on gang movements and activities. A recent incident highlighted this when Eagle observed a member of a local gang exit a vehicle holding what looked like a pistol," he said.
"Eagle provided information on the person and his movements to ground staff who could then co-ordinate a response. When the offender fled in his vehicle, Eagle tracked it from the air, providing real time location information until responding police stopped the vehicle and arrested him."
Superintendent Price said the man is now facing serious charges.
But not everyone believes the Eagle, which is now four weeks into a five-week trial, is worth the cost. The number of complaints made to the Christchurch City Council's noise control unit has doubled over the past week, rising from 18 to 39 since last Thursday.
The number of complaints made to the Christchurch City Council's noise control unit has risen from 18 to 39 since last Thursday.
The trial is set to finish on March 20. Police will then review how it has gone and consider making the Eagle a permanent fixture in Canterbury.
"Police staff are thrilled with the results and are very pleased to be working with such a great asset. When the trial first started, Eagle was also used in the Canterbury township of Lincoln where eight patched gang members were seen surrounding a residential property.
"All noticed Eagle above and they quickly made their way back to their vehicles and fled. Eagle maintained observations and provided commentary on their location as ground units flooded into the area. All three vehicles were stopped by police.
"It’s highly possible that Eagle’s presence prevented serious harm being caused at the address. Burglary charges have been laid against three people in relation to this incident and many outstanding warrants were cleared. All involved were local men."
Superintendent Price cites a "worrying" incident earlier this month in which the Eagle played an important role.
"One of the jobs of a more worrying nature in early March was reported as a potential kidnap and assault whereby information received by police alleged a woman was being threatened. Eagle dispatched and provided valuable information on the scene and movements of people.
"Police ground staff arrived and contained the scene, locating four people still present - three gang members and a another person. One of the men was arrested on an active warrant and enquiries are ongoing. Another man, a 24-year-old located at the address, will appear in court on outstanding warrants. He had over 30 prior charges, which is a good result."
Superintendent Price says the Eagle is also helping to keep "dangerous drivers off our roads".
"In another job attended by Eagle an informant reported bad driving by a couple of vehicles heading towards Christchurch. Both vehicles were linked to local gangs and Eagle maintained observations as the two vehicles continued south of Waikuku. The Canterbury Armed Response Team team and other units were directed to the vehicles’ locations by Eagle, which were safely stopped," he said.
"Five occupants were spoken to by police and an amount of cannabis, cash, and ammunition was recovered. One local man will appear in court at a later date for possession of ammunition and drugs. I would also like to acknowledge the work of ground units and Eagle after a fleeing driver and the subsequent vehicle pursuit was abandoned."
He said the Eagle has ensured the safety of police staff and enabled them to be more effective and efficient.
"I cannot stress enough how good it is to see these gang members dealt with safely and swiftly. I believe without Eagle above us, many of the jobs would not have been concluded this quickly and we would not have been able to bring these offenders to justice."
The Eagle trial continues until Friday, March 20.
