It is not often that a "manhunt" occurs anymore. Police are able to track down wanted criminals via the many cameras posted everywhere at traffic lights and intersections. However, for that one person that gets away and the search for him/her gets more and more complicated, an aerial view can help. It is especially useful when the suspected location of the wanted person is somewhere where there are absolutely no cameras to search and find the person. Aerial imagery acquisition services can help, and here is how it will work and how to pull it off when you need it. 

Hire Low-Flying Helicopters and Biplanes

For the sake of argument, let's say you are trying to track down your criminal in a swamp or fields of really tall grasses. For that, you want to hire low-flying helicopters and small biplanes. You can also hire aerial imagery companies that use drones, which reduces the risk of anyone getting hurt while searching the swamp or grassy field. All of these will fly low, blowing the swamp or grasses apart. Taking it as slow as these flying machines can go, rapid aerial photography will take easily enlargeable snapshots of the total terrain. It may take several passes and several days of flying and capturing images, but at least certain areas will be ruled out in the process. 

Match Images to Grids

As the images of these areas are collected, you can create an aerial grid of the landscape. Obvious areas where your criminal is not hiding (e.g., open water areas, flat lowlands with no cover, etc.) can be "x-ed" out, leaving specific areas open and subject to search. Ground teams of officers are assigned these areas based on the aerial images of the best spots for a criminal to hide or find cover. Repeatedly searching these areas helps rule out these areas as hiding places and prevents your criminal from running to these spaces to duck and cover. With continued aerial photography support, massive areas can be covered and searched in less time than any ground time can cover in the short time given. 

Consider Night Imaging Too

There are some aerial imagery companies that also provide night imaging. These images are taken via night cameras attached to the drones, helicopters, and biplanes. If your criminal is hiding out somewhere and choosing to run at night, then the night imaging would prove quite valuable in the manhunt as well.