Easy Tigerrrrrr !
Did I say that a fast response wasn't important ? !
Of course it is important, I totally agree with that, but the post quoted stated
The whole point of air support is a fast response
which is WRONG, and people seem to be getting hung up on that one issue.
Before the horse finally keels over, if an ASU can find a cheaper place to operate from,
and still maintain adequate response times, then the operating costs will be a far more important point - both to the local taxpayers, and the Police force finance manager(s) who are facing ever increasing budget cuts.
Other "important" points will include, for example, the geographical layout and demographics of the area concerned. The Force may decide to base its aircraft near to the most highly populated area, at the expense of response times to the more rural areas that are further away, where demand for Air Support is far lower.
Then there are travelling times for the crew which may impact upon Flight Time Limitations, Security ( esp. in light of recent events ) if based at remote locations.
I would have thought that the "whole point" of Air Support would be to provide a range of services, in support of Police Officers on the ground ( and "the Community" ), as efficiently and effectively as possible
