What resource is best to use when searching a very large area for a fleeing suspect?

In a situation where a large area needs to be searched for a fleeing suspect, air support is often the best resource. This is because air support provides a broad aerial view of the area, allowing for a more comprehensive search than ground units can typically achieve. Helicopters or drones can cover vast distances quickly and help pinpoint the suspect's location while also monitoring potential escape routes.

K-9 units are advantageous in tracking and apprehending suspects based on scent but are typically more effective in smaller, more defined areas. They complement efforts on the ground but may not be as effective in quickly covering a large expanse of territory where a suspect could potentially evade capture.

Surveillance cameras can be useful for monitoring specific locations or identifying recent movements of a suspect, but they lack the immediacy of real-time searching capabilities that an aerial unit provides, particularly in a dynamic situation.

Uniformed patrols can increase visibility and community trust, but they also have limitations in terms of speed and coverage of large areas, which a helicopter or drone can navigate more efficiently. In essence, while K-9 units have specific strengths, air support is the optimal choice for wide-scale searches for fleeing suspects in extensive spaces.