The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced on October 28, 2026, that its Aircraft Operations Division received the International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in Police Aviation Award for the fifth time. This recent feature covers that dated announcement, not a new rescue or an unfolding operation.
DPS says this is its second consecutive year receiving the award. The department lists its earlier awards as 2011, 2019, 2021 and 2025.
What DPS reported about its air-support work
For the period from September 2025 through September 2026, DPS reported 13,130 flight hours across 6,345 flights and 9,237 agency assists. Those are department-reported activity totals for that period, not figures independently audited by ThinBlueNews.
The same DPS summary reported 132 victims located and 116 stolen vehicles recovered during that period. The victim-location figure should not be read as a count of people rescued or lives saved: the release labels it as victims located.
The work behind each flight
Chief Pilot Stacy Holland credited aircraft mechanics, inspectors and support staff with helping keep aircraft safe and mission-ready, alongside pilots and air crews, according to the release.
DPS also describes aviation work beyond the aircraft crews. Its Aircraft Operations Division is responsible for licensing, training and regulating the department’s UAS Remote Pilot in Command program. The release lists drone uses including traffic accident reconstruction and crime scene investigation.
Those details put the recognition in the context of interagency assistance, maintenance and investigative support, rather than a single flight. The activity figures above describe the department’s stated reporting window; the archive helicopter photo does not establish a current aircraft assignment or depict any of those missions.
Read the October 28, 2026, DPS announcement for the department’s full activity summary and linked award video.