The Flint Police Department’s new helicopter lease is already making an impact, enhancing patrol operations and crime response in the city. Since its debut in October, the newly leased aircraft has been deployed four times, providing officers with advanced surveillance capabilities and rapid response times in one of Michigan’s most high-crime areas.
According to official statements from the police agency, the Flint Police Department’s new helicopter lease has already been successfully deployed four times for patrol operations across the city since its debut in October.
In the face of a certain amount of public criticism, Det. Sgt. Tyrone Booth of the Flint PD stated that the department has been pleased with the outcome to date.
According to Booth, “It’s a great tool and I think it will have great benefits as we continue to explore what this thing has to offer us,”.
According to Booth’s statements to the press, the helicopter is also equipped for night surveillance and can assist officers during traffic pursuits in the famously high-crime Michigan city.
The Flint Police Department certainly has recent historical reasons for justifying its decision to lease a helicopter. During most of the last 20 years, Flint has very frequently ranked very highly as one of the U.S cities most prone to different types of violent crime. Between 2016 and 2017 alone, its statistics for violent crimes rose by 23%.
All of these crime-related difficulties are the case despite the city proper having a population of no more than 100,000 inside a metro area of a little over 350,000 people.
The Flint PD is still navigating the process of logistics for the chopper in question. The lease was approved by the City Council in July of this year for $300,000, money which is claimed to have been taken from the police department’s drug forfeiture funds.
As Det. Sgt Booth explains, the helicopter has been used on four different occasions so far in assistance operations for traffic pursuits and arresting suspects. Booth further elaborates that the chopper can respond in minutes or even seconds and deliver vital information for the sake of more easily apprehending suspects.
As Booth himself states, “The helicopter was able to quickly get an eye on the vehicle and then allow the helicopter to pursue the vehicle from the air, keeping the ground unit from moving at a high rate of speed trying to maintain visual contact with the car,”
Booth however also clarified that his police department’s helicopter is not an inordinately costly investment either. According to the police chief, it has nowhere near the same capabilities as the Michigan State Police helicopter, which is a far pricier and more complex machine:
“I want to be clear, the Michigan State helicopter is a multi-million dollar piece of equipment. The helicopter that we are flying is not that. We of course if given the opportunity would love to have a system like that.”
Booth also explains that the new chopper is however adequate for the department’s needs for now and that his office is pleased with its ability to leave the city’s airport and arrive at the scene of an emergency within 10 to 15 minutes.
The city of Flint has also recently approved a further resolution to provide $98,500 for additional surveillance cameras in the streets for the sake of public safety.
Government Helicopter assistance is regularly chartered out to or leased from private air services contractors such as Fair Lifts Helicopter Services. This offers a rapid and cost-effective way of providing police and rescue departments across the country with often crucially important air response capabilities.
Photo Credit: Flint Helicopter.jpeg