SAN DIEGO ADDS 3 POLICE COPTERS

$18M upgrade prompted by sharply rising costs to maintain aging fleet

San Diego is spending $18 million on three new police helicopters that police say are safer and have better navigation systems than the older models they will replace, which police expect to shrink response times.

Police helicopters assist with foot and vehicle pursuits, searches for missing persons, recovery of vehicles, surveillance and “first-atscene” support during emergencies.

Police officials say the large expenditure on new helicopters is warranted because maintenance costs have been sharply rising for its fleet of four helicopters, which includes three bought in 2005 that will be replaced and one purchased in 2020.

The older models are often out of commission for long stretches during repairs. The helicopter the city bought three years ago replaced a model that had been in use since 2004.

“I know that helicopter maintenance is incredibly important and expensive,” Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, chair of the council’s Public Safety Committee, told police officials last month. “I appreciate that you’ve done the analysis to show us — if we don’t invest in new helicopters — how much it will cost us to continue repairing the old ones.”

The City Council unanimously approved the purchase of the new helicopters Aug. 1. They will be Airbus H-125s, the same model the city bought in 2020.

Police Lt. Rick Aguilar said total annual maintenance costs have risen to $1.6 million. The costs for the newest chopper are a small fraction of the costs for each of the three older models.

He also said the new models have crash-resistant fuel tanks, backup hydraulics, an autopilot option and superior navigation systems.