Reasons why police air support have developed very successfully since it's inception?
Ram raids were the initial reason but once in service it was soon realised that having a helicopter available actually saved a significant amount of money in search costs and significantly increased successful misper finds - alive! Air operations has produced a substantial deterrent effect and it is this, more than the changes in Law that has produced a decrease in car related crime.
If the criminal knows he/she has a very good chance of getting caught then that's when they actually think again. Not sentencing -
getting caught.
And why do they get caught; because the forces with large urban areas have placed their asset (where possible) very near to that centre of crime because, air support is only successful when you minimise TIME. Its all about reducing time on task/speed of response, anything that increases TIME decreases operational effectiveness. Place an asset 20 - 30 minutes away and it is doomed to fail.
A National solution to air ops is a natural sensible progression.
It had to come. But it has been handled really badly. The original statements about air ops were factually incorrect, politically motivated and insulting. If anything, police air ops around the country have led the way (police) in cooperation, coordination and communication. Cross border ops have seamlessly operated for years and cooperation on purchasing and information exchange (User Groups etc) has been in place for years, as has training both regionally and nationally.
The backlash started by SYO was inevitable when the NPAS team (no police aviation knowledge - still) have not been giving the correct costings and providing a solution to air ops that will increase not decrease crime and time.
SYO want the 'gold standard' they are used to and pay for - their words - GOLD STANDARD.
It is after all giving a service to the public not just about cutting costs. Costs can be cut from air ops but the NPAS way is to reduce operational effectiveness by placing the assets away from the centres of crime and increasing response times. The beer glass principal. Do this and you also reduce deterrent effect (West Mids a/c etc). The central control room idea will only exacerbate the problem.
The Police Authorities are not stupid. They realise that they or the replacement system, the new commissioner set up, will get it in the neck from the public if, a) crime increases in that area and b) if they are in the long term going to receive a worse service for the wrong costs. This is only the start. September is going to be an interesting NPAS milestone.
It doesn't help that NPAS has indicated that it's own funding formulae will not work in the long term!
What would be refreshing, if NPAS would take a step back, take a breath, employ some aviation experts, observers and pilots, perhaps an aviation engineer, to look at a better national solution. The operational aspects like local control not national control need to be looked at again.
Are emotions high on here? Of course they are. Many air observers (of all ranks) and pilots have built up the service and operated it for the benefit of the public only to see it being systematically changed and destroyed in the name of savings! Did not ACPO state that front line assets would not be touched?
In essence Waging Finger, there are 3 groups of people that contribute to this thread. Interested outsiders, passionate practitioners and ostriches!
Living with it and making it work is not a responsible way forward.......
