Thomas
views like what, exactly m8?
You surmise that I have worked here all my career. My previous employer was an ASU operator and I spent a good deal of time either working with them or underneath them. Indeed, had I not decided to become a tax exile I would probably ended up on the ASU in question in due course.
Please don't make comments regarding any lack of background knowledge without knowing a little bit about me.
An ASU XO is only given a fixed amount of cash each year, within which he or she has to operate, Constabularies in the UK have been expected to make a two per cent year on year saving for some time now, and it doesn;t take a rocket scientist to understand that once the money has gone, going to see the Chief to ask for more is a fairly fruitless exercise. A number of hours will be projected for each year, but there aint much point in using them up before june and the thing being sat on the pad until the following april. Therefore, each job is assessed on its merits. Believe me, the decision to deploy or not doesn't always suit the customer either............
I certainly wasn't moaning about anything. The budgetary issues are very real.
What I do (as a police officer) is take a pragmatic approach to any problem. Until someone actually looks at low cost solutions ( including gyro's) who is to say that it isn't an option. there are going to be operation restrictions, but it may be that the benefits outweigh them. I don't know, as nobody else does, because no-one has sat down and asked the questions.
Don't forget, gyros have already been used for police work in a particularly high profile missing persons case.
On the final point, TC, we didnt and haven't leased or borrowed a chopper at all. I have previously looked for advice on this thread (police commandeering civilain helos) as to the constraints of the AOC on such activities.
We could not justify a police only machine of the 135/902 genre, hence my interest in low cost and multi agency solutions.
Thanks for your comments Thos, but I think you missed my point by a country mile