"HARP security is flying high"
- excerpt from Success Weekly by Kim Arnott

The Oakville-based security company will be moving its business into the sky this spring, with the launch of a helicopter security service. The purchase of a three seater Enstrom 280C helicopter also moves HARP into a class of its own. "There's no other security company in Canada that has one," says co-owner and security operations co-coordinator Geoff Gardiner. The company is currently in negotiations with local police and fire departments, who have expressed interest in using the vehicle for search and rescue and surveillance work. The Calgary police department, which has recently begun using a helicopter in its operations, has had "phenomenal success" with it, says Gardiner. Using sky surveillance to trail vehicles cuts down on the need for dangerous high-speed chases, and with the helicopter's ability to cover the area of about 10 patrol cars, police have also suggested it could be used for regular patrols during high-crime times, such as weekend summer evenings, Gardiner added. Equipped with floats, the helicopter can also be used for water rescues. It will be stored in the Oakville area, which will offer a rapid response time for emergency situations. "With having it locally, we can be in the air in 15 minutes," said Gardiner. The company's intent is to negotiate a leasing rate for the vehicle, which will come equipped with a pilot, as both Gardiner and HARP President Cam Roberts have pilot licenses. HARP will also be seeking sponsors to help defray the $300 to $400 per hour cost of having a helicopter in the air. They are offering sponsors recognition for any crimes solved during subsidized air time. While several financial backers had originally expressed interest in the project, those deals fell through and the security company eventually financed the helicopter purchase itself. While Gardiner wouldn't disclose the precise purchase price, he said the used helicopter is valued in the range of $100,000 to $200,000. HARP was founded in Oakville in March 1994 by Gardiner and Roberts, both former police officers. The company currently employs over 50 people.