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Police helicopter added to city's capital budget

By: Bartley Kives

5/12/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 10

Edmonton took possession of a brand new Air 2 police helicopter in September.

JOHN LUCAS / CANWEST NEWS SERVICE ARCHIVE Enlarge Image

Edmonton took possession of a brand new Air 2 police helicopter in September.

Winnipeg needs a police helicopter to respond to mundane calls, not for dramatic Hollywood-style aerial chases, police Chief Keith McCaskill said after politicians tentatively approved the purchase.

On Friday, city council's executive policy committee allocated $3.5 million toward the purchase of a police helicopter equipped with high-tech features such as infrared vision and a GPS tracking system.

Although city councillors have not received a report outlining the rationale behind the decision, McCaskill said two police officers have worked exclusively for six months to study helicopter use by municipal police services in Edmonton, Calgary and Ontario's York Region, as well as by the RCMP in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.

Their conclusion: The Winnipeg Police Service should be able to respond to more calls if large numbers of patrol cars don't have to be mustered to chase down suspects at night, engage in high-speed chases or search for people lost in wooded areas such as Assiniboine Forest.

A single police helicopter in the air can free dozens of cruisers to handle more calls on the ground, especially at night, McCaskill said. An infrared camera and GPS tracking could achieve in minutes what might take hours for patrol cars to accomplish.

"The big benefit the helicopter is going to have for us is utilizing our resources better. When it's in the air, you're going to have the bird's-eye view to determine your resources," McCaskill said, addressing concerns a helicopter purchase is just a crime-fighting gimmick. "If you can cut the number of cars off for other calls, the number of calls in our queue drops."

McCaskill's comments should soothe the concerns of city councillors who were initially skeptical about the benefits of a police helicopter. St. Vital Coun. Gord Steeves, for example, said he fears Winnipeggers might expect too much in the way of crime reduction.

"This thing has a life of its own," he said Friday, after the committee amended Winnipeg's 2010 capital budget to pave the way for the helicopter purchase.

The way the amendment was worded, the purchase won't go ahead unless the Manitoba government provides new money to cover operating costs estimated at $1 million to $1.3 million a year. Even Winnipeg Mayor Katz, one of the helicopter's chief proponents, said he would not support the purchase otherwise.

The NDP government promised to cover the helicopter's operating costs during Monday's throne speech. But a spokesman for Premier Greg Selinger said the city and province are still working out the details.

The mayor said he was sold on the whirlybird once McCaskill made his case.

"I am satisfied this will be a phenomenal tool for keeping our citizens safe and also make sure members of the Winnipeg Police Service do not get hurt," the mayor said.

The proposed police helicopter would be staffed by two shifts and could be deployed within four or five minutes, McCaskill said. It could fly for as long as four or five hours at a time during busy periods, with one civilian pilot and one police observer on board.

McCaskill said he cannot provide assurances that a police helicopter will reduce Winnipeg's overall crime rate, but he is completely convinced the aircraft will help police manage resources more effectively.

"I do know, absolutely, we'll be able to redistribute our people a lot better," he said.

The 2010 capital budget goes to city council for consideration on Dec. 15.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

 

Copter cash and more

 

City council's executive policy committee approved the 2010 capital budget -- a $431-million spending blueprint for infrastructure upgrades next year - after making the following additions on Friday:

 

$3.5 million to purchase a police helicopter

$3.2 million to increase the scope of repairs to Taylor Avenue to $5.1 million from $1.9 million and get the work done in a single year

$250,000 to help the Variety Club build a playground at The Forks

$100,000 for the Manitoba Children's Museum in 2011

$50,000 for francophone theatre Le Cercle Molière in 2011

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 5, 2009 A5

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10 Commentscomment icon

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The WPD should get a battleship next. The use of helicopters and tough on crime tactics have not worked in the US neither have the mandatory sentences and yet we follow the US examples like dogs. We have a better system focus on people before they become involved in crime.

They use fear to control us wake up.

They gotta be kidding there is so much the city could be spending the money on. The $50,000 for francophone theatre Le Cercle Molière in 2011 that money is just a waste and could be spent some place else too.
If the city would implement a no idle policy with their fleet of trucks that would save a huge amount of cash.
The city employees just don't care, it's not their money that is paying for the fuel.

How did the cost go from $1.8 Million up to $3.5 Million ? In fact, you can even get a brand new police helicopter much cheaper.

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Just curious but can someone explain to me why radio stations can have choppers up in the air every day and the city can't. I'm just curious.

I think the money should go to the gun registry, and all criminals should have to register their firearms. Let's make it the law.

Ok... can you remember ever even once that the Winnipeg police have needed a helicopter to stop a crime? I guess now we'll stop all those building hijackings and mafia gang wars. I'm sure this'll have a real big impact on crime.

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I hope we are getting "Blue Thunder" we sure can use a little fire power in this town.

3.5 million dollars for the helicopter plus the costs of maintenance and fuel?
I would think a better way to use this money is for the justice system to get criminals off the street, and spent or rehabilitation. Just a short time ago it was reported that Addictions Manitoba was so poorely funded that it was unable to take on new cases.
The comments about this helicopter being used to ditribute cars better is baloney, that is why we have satellites and GPS technology.
And how many people per year get lost in our Assinaboine Forest that need rescue? Seems to me if you walk in any direction for 15 minutes you will come to a road...
This will be a great waste of money to make us feel like the Canadian version of Detroit.

Thank God! Its about time!

Hopefully this will be proven to be a useful tool for the WPS. I think citizens and council would feel more comfortable with the decision if a report outlining the expected benefits was submitted by the WPS. How many times a year, on average, are three or more cruisers used to "chase down suspects at night, engage in high-speed chases or search for people lost in wooded areas such as Assiniboine Forest"?

What are the expected savings from reduced damage to private and public property? Is there an expected decrease in call response time due to the more effective management of police resources? How many fewer officers will be injured and what are the resulting savings in sick leave?

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