Smile… police chopper has a camera again

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/09/2016 (3655 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg police Air1 chopper is back in the air with a new thermal imaging camera only a week after getting approval to buy a replacement.

But the camera is a loaner from the Alberta RCMP, acting police chief Art Stannard said Friday.

The police board met Aug. 31 and approved a request from the WPS to take money from a reserve account. There wasn’t sufficient room in the force’s budget to pay for the camera, estimated to cost $360,000 in February.

Prior to April’s election, the province agreed to split the cost with police, but the price then jumped to $560,000, leaving a $200,000 shortfall.

Earlier in the summer, the police board authorized a reallocation of $100,000 from the reserve account with the understanding that the province would provide the remaining $100,000.

But, the newly elected Pallister government said it would commit only to the original agreement for $180,000, and the force was $100,000 short. Last week the board approved a second reallocation of $100,000.

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Stannard said the RCMP agreed to loan the WPS a spare camera to get Air1 back to operational efficiency, adding a decision to buy a replacement won’t be made until bids have been submitted and reviewed.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca