UK police air support is alive and kicking in its present form thanks to a very rapid (by US standards) transition through a 'live and learn' culture by switched on successive UEO's. Don't begrudge them all their efforts, please.
TC I can quote you many instances [some on paper]where a range of UEOs have been berated by other officers in other police units for 'choosing the wrong type of aircraft' - and I have been berated for thinking aloud too.... So I would guess that anyone might be allowed an opinion on Rotorheads!
I know that this is a UK Air Support thread, but plenty seem to whizz off with occasional mentions of the outside world when it suits them. Unless the IoM have a need to fly over the sea and particularly low, with their relatively small towns something single might suit them. I doubt the R44 because the trade off for the sensor would be too great, but a beefy single with good eyes would overcome the potential inability to fit PAOM easment criteria.
A fair number of US police singles have crashed into built up areas in recent years. Fatal for the crews but the effect on the ground has been less obvious because of the large areas of wide roadway and medians that US territory offers. They have really been lucky not to collect 'collateral voter' damage.
Most recent I can recall was the loss of the Californian crash in which the first operational example of the new searchlight was lost ... San Jose lost their MD520N .... LAPD have lost at least one off their rooftop... Baltimore of course sent a S300 whanging across the road.... that got them closed down until they recently modernised. In many ways it was the Strathclyde Bell 206 losing its engine [snow injestion] in January 1990 that led to the current PAOM three years later ..... straws and camels .....