You might be wondering why Houston police need an aircraft of their own. They say it's because Houston has the fourth busiest airport system in the country. HPD and regional enforcement agencies say they need to be on the forefront of tactical response when it comes to airport emergencies.
The aircraft is the property of the Department of Defense, but it was outfitted by Continental Airlines to simulate a commercial plane. And it looks just like that when you go inside.
SWAT teams, K-9 units, the bomb squad and other units will now use this jet for training.
"It can be used by, as the chief said, not just HPD's SWAT team, but all other agencies related to the airport and to federal, state and local law enforcement as well for training for hijacking, terrorism and all those other things that they do and they keep up to speed on," said Congressman Poe.
Poe says HPD is the first local law enforcement agency to have its own plane. Had it not been brought here, it would have remained at a field in Arizona, completely unused.
