Using helicopters to track carjackings is a bad idea

Supplying the Chicago Police Department and Cook County with helicopters solely to stop carjackings is a horrible idea.

Helicopters require places to land, and have to be stored, maintained, fueled and repaired. They are noisy, dangerous and inefficient. They require a massive, permanent investment in staffing, not just in pilots over multiple shifts, but support staff, maintenance and repair staff, security, landing crews and more.

A carjacking at 1 a.m. will cause entire neighborhoods to be woken up and stressed out as a chopper chases the car. Can a helicopter actually stop a carjacking? How? By landing on a vehicle?

If we want eyes in the sky that will record, identify and help develop a safe, effective and coordinated response to carjackings, a far cheaper, more efficient and far more effective solution already exists.

Today’s LTA (lighter than air) technology is used in many locations for security and coordinated responses to conflicts and/or crime. A modern blimp requires no pilot, little or no fuel, creates no noise, and can hold multiple cameras capable of independently tracking carjackers and criminals.

If a helicopter has a technical problem, people may die — not just the passengers, but the innocents on the ground. If a balloon has a problem, it gently settles to the ground

Why waste many millions in taxpayer dollars when we could be more secure at a fraction of the cost? When the basic cost of a chopper runs from $2 million to $10 million a pop, not counting training, pilot, staffing, etc. Spending thousands apiece for high-tech balloons makes a lot more sense.

Robert A. Kezelis, Palos Heights