whitehead06
It isn't the end of police aviation that is being advocated but it is not unreasonable to suggest that fewer better equipped helicopters might be a better option. Comparatively few crimes are prevented or solved using helicopters and it is right to question whether the half billion pounds or more invested in police aviation represents value for money or would be better invested in improved resources on the ground. Do we really need over twenty police helicopters scattered across the country, or could half a dozen fully specified and crewed models do a better job if strategically based? Since our cities seem to be blanketed by CCTV cameras, is there any point flying police helicopters regularly over densely populated areas? Regular ground patrols by uniformed officers and marked police vehicles can be just as much of a deterrent to criminal activity as hovering over a housing estate in the middle of the night. Trouble is, seems there's no money in the budget to provide proper coppers any more! Something has to give somewhere. Everybody is expected to do more with fewer resources and police aviation is very big ticket item compared to virtually every other branch of the police service with the possible exception of marine support. We could make a start by returning police to being a force and not a service, since that's the one thing they have failed to deliver since the term was introduced. (rant over)