The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is proud to announce that its Aircraft Operations Division (AOD) has been named the recipient of the 2025 Leadership in Police Aviation Award by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). The award was presented during the IACP Annual Awards Banquet at the Denver Convention Center on Tuesday, Oct. 21, as a part of the 2025 IACP Annual Conference.
“This award is a tremendous honor and reflection of the incredible work, professionalism and dedication of our AOD personnel,” said DPS Colonel Freeman F. Martin. “The men and women of AOD play an essential role in protecting Texans every single day— from the border to our highways and communities. Their leadership in aviation continues to set the standard across the country and the globe.”
Selected from among more than 35,000 agencies in over 170 countries, DPS was recognized for its outstanding leadership and innovation in both manned and unmanned law enforcement operations. This marks the fourth time DPS has received this distinguished honor — having previously been recognized in 2011, 2019 and 2021, further cementing the division’s reputation as a global leader in police aviation.
“This honor is a reflection of that shared dedication across our entire division,” said Chief Pilot Stacy Holland. “We are so proud to protect and serve, so every mission we fly is driven by our commitment to this state and to the communities we love.”
From March 2024 through March 2025, AOD recorded some remarkable operational achievements, including:
- 14,240 flight hours across 6,725 flights
- 10,071 agency assists, including 2,900 U.S. Border Patrol assists
- 9,600 suspects located and 96 victims located
- 241 stolen vehicles recovered
AOD exemplifies the department’s core values of integrity, excellence, accountability and teamwork, maintaining a long-standing tradition of innovation and operational excellence. They have established industry best practices in training, maintenance and interagency collaboration — enhancing the effectiveness of law enforcement efforts across Texas and serving as a model for agencies worldwide.
About AOD
AOD is one of the largest airborne law enforcement units in the country, consisting of 13 duty stations, 27 aircraft with state-of-the-art technology and more than 100 personnel. DPS’ AOD is composed of 50 police pilots and 35 Tactical Flight Officers (TFOs). The division currently operates a fleet of 15 Airbus A-Stars (including nine with hoist capabilities), one Airbus EC145 C2, one Bell 412, two Pilatus PC-12NGs, four Cessna Caravans, two Cessna 206s and one Beechcraft King Air 350. Additionally, AOD is responsible for licensing, training and regulating all 350 of the Department’ UAS Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC) program. The department owns over 350 UAS systems (drones) that are used in variety of missions like border security, capitol security, traffic accident reconstruction and crime scene investigation along with many other missions.
