It seems to me - as an outsider looking in - that part of the problem in saving money in police aviation is not only in how many you have but how you use them. Where the only measure of success is how quickly an aircraft attends not whether it makes sense.
Using an asset such as this for public or officer safety is right and proper, assisting in the prevention or detection of SERIOUS crime is a reasonable use of a helicopter but lifting just because someone with no knowledge of the capabilities of the aircraft says so, must be where a proportion of the money is wasted.
Infrastructure is expensive, staff are expensive but helicopters are expensive if you use them unwisely. It seems as though we've realised we need to save money so have chopped bases leaving large holes in coverage but have never cared whether the ones we have are being used to best effect.
I feel deeply for those affected by the recent announcements and understand the pride felt by those who built up the pre-NPAS service but times have changed and we can now no longer afford to send a helicopter to every little job. If those who are left continue to be sent on these tasks then perhaps further efficiencies will be sought in the near future.
Art, I understand that some sort of (tin) hat may be in order.
Last edited by MaxR; 21st Feb 2015 at 10:06.