Police Aviation News April 2011

Police Aviation News April 2011 7
UNITED STATES
CALIFORNIA: In the face of massive budget cuts and officer layoffs, San Jose police
have mothballed the use of a Eurocopter EC120 helicopter registered N408DC they bought
new and have flown for over ten years.
The San Jose Police Department says it will suspend its flights for at least three months to
evaluate cost savings and public safety impact. Previously the machine routinely flew about
three missions a day, costs the department about $1.4M a year, mostly in salary and benefits
for the pilots. True savings would be about $400,000 in fuel and maintenance.
The department has transferred the four designated pilots to patrol.
The department still has the use of a fixed-wing airplane that it can use, as needed, for reconnaissance
photos and surveillance.
The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, also operating in San Jose, says that it will continue
its missions with its own 2002 EC120 helicopter at least three times a week. The Sheriff's
Office contracts a pilot for its flights instead of using officer pilots. That makes its helicopter
missions cheaper, about $329,000 a year, much of which is supported through asset
-seizure money.
The registration number of the Air2 helicopter was chosen in order to memorialize Casey:
408DC is painted in large white and silver lettering across the top of the helicopter with 408
in reference to the telephone area code for San Jose. The DC portrays Casey's initials.