cost of air support is irrelevant
FFF, I know where you are coming from with this, but it still remains a big ticket item, A fully role equipped airframe weighs in at the 4 to six million mark (depending who you listen to) with a running cost of around 1 million a year (for some of the larger units). Some units and by some very wise peoples admission did not turn a blade for some days.
Along comes a CSR and Chief Officers (Who are mainly politicians and accountants these days, by necessity rather than choice in many cases!) Have a look around at where they can cut the money from, what is the number one obvious target in such a case?
Anyone naive enough to think that the cost cutting will stop at this should come and visit me with all their personal money, I have a great pyramid scheme that can make us all rich!!!!
With another round of CSR coming and who knows what further down the line, we could be seeing the last days of Police air support in it's current form.
We are not the only area of Policing that is suffering and regardless of anything it's the Police on the doorstep that the public want when they call for help more than anything else.