Cost of police helicopter is called into question
THE cost-effectiveness of the helicopter used by Cheshire police is being brought into question.
Evan Morris MBE, independent member of Cheshire Police and Crime Panel, was last week due to ask Police And Crime Commissioner David Keane how many officers could be employed for the cost of running the chopper.
Mr Morris became concerned after reading a 2017 report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate Of Constabulary And Fire And Rescue Services about the National Police Air Service. He said: “This national report highlights poor outcomes of police helicopter operations and response times throughout the UK. I feel that the commissioner, who is very pro-community policing, should be having a very close look at what the benefits have been to the residents and community of Cheshire.
“The question needs to be asked, would Cheshire communities benefit more from investing this money in officers’ feet on the ground?”
In the past, police forces operated their own helicopters, either individually or in small consortia.
But since 2012 air support for England and Wales has been coordinated by the National Police Air Service (NPAS) with the five forces in the North West served by four helicopters.
The HMICFRS report paid tribute to the skill and dedication of those involved in NPAS.
But it found savings had been made by cutting the service to forces rather than through efficiencies, leading ● to inconsistent levels of support across the country.
Police helicopters en route to an incident were cancelled in more than 40% of cases often because the incident was already over before air support could arrive.
The average response to a crime in action that did not involve an immediate threat to life took more than 30 minutes.
HM Inspector Of Constabulary Matt Parr, who led the inspection, said: “With the number of bases being halved and the number of
aircraft being cut by a third in the last 10 years, savings have primarily been made by cutting the service provided to forces rather than increasing efficiency.
“An inconsistent service means that many incidents requiring air support are over before a police helicopter can arrive. Moreover, we are concerned that the police service now operates insufficient aircraft to provide a consistently prompt response to incidents in all forces in England and Wales.”
The report found the cost per flying hour had increased from £1,335 in 2009 to £2,820 in 2016-17.
There was insufficient funding to replace the ageing NPAS aircraft, with budgets having been used to upgrade existing aircraft, rather than purchase new ones. The report highlighted that although most forces have purchased drones, no force had rigorously evaluated their use and as a result, the police service has not developed a common view on their relative merit as a form of police air support.
NPAS has a fleet of 19 helicopters – between 10 and 14 are available on any given day.