Police Aviation News November 2010
Police Aviation News November 2010
Police Aviation News November 2010
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<strong>Police</strong> <strong>Aviation</strong> <strong>News</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 16<br />
TEXAS: The Austin <strong>Police</strong> Department is asking the federal government for $12M to buy<br />
three new helicopters, saying the helicopters it now has aren't enough to meet the demands<br />
of a major city.<br />
Talks between the police department and the Central Texas' congressional delegation had<br />
already started when the matter was to a head by the absence of the primary helicopter, a<br />
modern Eurocopter EC120, call-sign Air 1 during three high-profile incidents. The aircraft<br />
was on major maintenance and the elderly back up was itself defective requiring a main rotor<br />
blade change during one incident. There was additional air support available during another<br />
shooting incident but APD claim that it is not reliable source of air cover and many<br />
other agencies cal upon it. That time the Texas Department of Public Safety provided a helicopter<br />
that circled the crime scene with the and was again present during a 45-minute car<br />
chase.<br />
The <strong>Police</strong> Department's aviation arm has been under scrutiny since an outside auditing<br />
firm recommended eliminating it in 2008, based on an analysis of its cost. <strong>Police</strong> say the<br />
analysis was flawed but the damage was done.<br />
Austin <strong>Police</strong> requested a new police helicopter during this year's city budget deliberations<br />
but it was not pursued vigorously and the funding went towards the provision of 48 more<br />
patrol officers. Now additional funds are being sought through the Justice Department.<br />
[Statesman/PAR]
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