Q&A with St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick

Q: What can you tell us about the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit?
A: We call them our “eyes in the sky.” We currently have two aircraft: a 2013 Bell 407 that we purchased used from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and a 1969 Vietnam-era Bell OH-58 that we acquired and repurposed in the 1990s under Sheriff Perry from the federal government under the 1033 program. It’s important to have two aircraft in case one of them is in need of maintenance. About two years ago, we ordered a new Bell 407 to replace the 1969 aircraft because parts for repairs on that aircraft are in short supply. We expect to receive the new aircraft in late 2024.

We currently lease space at the St. Augustine Regional Airport and share a hangar with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), which also owns two helicopters.

Q: What is the unit staff?
A: The aviation unit is under the operations division. We have four pilots and the main pilot is a sergeant. These pilots are all very experienced and the goal is to fly more aircraft, which we have been able to do. In 2023, we flew 475 hours; so far in 2024, we have flown 590 hours. The unit also has two full-time mechanics and one part-time mechanic.

Q: What are the highlights of “Eyes in the Sky”?
A: They are able to assist us in real time, which adds an extra level of safety for the community as well as our deputies. For example, they can notify deputy sheriffs in cars about oncoming traffic.

Our aviation unit flights are both reactive and proactive – and they can physically respond to calls for service, such as swimmers in distress, stolen vehicles, missing children or elderly, suspected criminals in pursuit , ongoing appeals and proactive traffic enforcement for traffic stops.

Q: Do you work in partnership with other agencies?
A: We have many partnerships with local agencies such as St. Johns Fire and Rescue, the City of St. Augustine Fire Department and surrounding municipalities. We provide mutual aid to Clay, Flagler and Putnam counties as well as St. Johns County municipalities, the Florida Highway Patrol and the FWC. We also have a great partnership with the City of Jacksonville. Since the closest U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue Center is in Savannah, Georgia, we augment their search and rescue efforts. We can get to our area faster and drop a raft if needed, but we cannot raise our aircraft. We patrol 221 square miles of water in St. Johns County in addition to our 42 miles of beaches. We know lives are saved because of our aviation unit.

Q: What is the best way for our readers to contact you with any questions or suggestions regarding this article?

A: They can email me at [email protected] or call me at (904) 824-8304. Additionally, our website, www.sjso.org, has a wealth of resources, from alarm registration to Crime Stoppers to our Neighbors app.