Police to review helicopter operations even after province loses interest

The Winnipeg Police Service is planning to review the useof its helicopter now that the province has cancelled plans for a review of its own.

Deputy Chief Gord Perrier said Monday the police plan to look atthe use of the aircraft known as Air1 inmore detail than it does in its annual reports of flight operations.

No such examination has taken place since the city purchased the helicopter in 2010. The province has covered the annual operating cost, which has risen from $1.2 million in 2011 to $1.9 million in 2016.

The former NDP government pledged to review the aircraft's operation, but theProgressive Conservative government cancelled that plan and then signaled instead it will not be providing the city with annual operating increases for any specific line item, including the police helicopter.

• To fly or not to fly; that is the police helicopter question

Deputy ChiefGordPerriersaid a review remains necessary.

"We are in preliminary discussions of what would a review look like,whetherthat'sconducted by an outside entity, whether it's an internal review, whether it'sjointlywith the city," Perrier said Monday following a media briefing at the Winnipeg police headquarters.

"We want toreallyexplore in depth what's the return oninvestment," he said, adding the police need to now how the helicopter fits into police operations and "how thecommunityfeels about a use ofequipment like that and how informed they are about the helicopter, its operations and its value to the community."

Police to review helicopter operations

7 years ago

Duration 1:49

The Winnipeg Police Service is planning to review the use of its helicopter now that the province has cancelled plans for a review of its own.

On Monday, the city published a 2016Air1annual report thatstatedthe helicopter flew fewer hours last yearas a result of the defective infrared camera that was replaced in September.

The helicopterflew 733 hours in 2016, a drop of 27 per cent from 2015, according to the annual report.The aircraft was groundedfor the entire month of August.

TheRCMPloanedWinnipegan infrared camera in September, which was installed onAir1until a permanent new camera arrived in December.

That camera cost $560,000, with the province picking up $180,000 of the tab.Insp. John Lutz said he does not expectthehelicopter to require significant upgrades for several years.

• City agrees to cover remaining cost of new police helicopter camera
• Winnipeg police rely on borrowed RCMP infrared camera for Air1 helicopter

Lutz said the aircraft isindispensableto police operations and suggested its cost can't be assessedwithout looking at the way its use is integrated with police operations as a whole.