CHOPPERS OVERHEAD RAISE IRE
City Council members want more transparency, specific criteria for police presence over neighborhoods
San Diego leaders representing the city’s most ethnically diverse areas say the Police Department should prevent its helicopters from lingering too long in neighborhoods because that can create a disturbing “war zone” atmosphere.
City Council President Sean EloRivera and Councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe also say police should be more transparent about what criteria prompt the use of helicopters and ensure that they are only used in truly urgent situations.
Elo-Rivera, whose district includes City Heights, says city officials have sometimes dismissed concerns about helicopters lingering over diverse neighborhoods in the same way officials have dismissed concerns that people of color are treated differently during traffic stops.
A police spokesman said Tuesday that the city’s fleet of four helicopters is only deployed to serve specific law enforcement needs and that they don’t linger in one place if they are not on a call.
Both councilmembers say they support the use of police helicopters in some instances, but that residents in the neighborhoods they represent often complain about noise from the helicopters and their public address loudspeakers.
“I’m not going to dismiss the fact that there are folks in neighborhoods in my district who want to feel safe and sometimes do feel more safe when they know they are going to get a quick police response, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the helicopter hovering,” Elo-Rivera said last week.
Montgomery Steppe, who represents much of southeastern San Diego, says lingering helicopters can create trauma for a neighborhood and its residents, especially when they f ly over areas for extended periods and repeat announcements