The Andrew Mitchell saga has not helped the police and there is a public perception that the force is no more than a tax collector through fines imposed on motorists while the real criminals go free.
The fact is that the huge expense of police air ops does not make the public on the ground any safer. It's the same with stab vests/all the stuff hanging off plods belt.
Most urban crime is from Friday night until Sunday morning. It's fuelled by alcohol just like it has been for the last century.
You can look at all the police camera action movies you like but the reality is all the criminals they catch are petty crime merchants dealt with by magistrates who cannot imprison anyone for more than six months. Result is that the worst they get is three months.
I hate to be a party pooper but plods chopper coppers in their 'Klown Kaptain suits' are a waste of public money .
It would be better to assign the funds to the Air Ambulance operations in the UK.