Are the helos a good law enforcement tool?

The PNJ article states that Scapecchi would get rid of two of the three ECSO helicopters.
Morgan has long said in his Blab infomercials that they are a waste of money.

I would think that air cover would be very beneficial seeing that Escambia County has an area of 876 square miles.

A fast response to certain crimes especially in the fringe areas of the County seems to me would make having the helos worth the expense.

I could see maybe selling off one of them, but it makes sense to have two in the agency. To keep one operational and the other one available for backup or required maintenance.

What are your thoughts pro or con on keeping the helos?

[SilverSurfer]

The helos are a great leap foward in Law Enforcement. The Tazer takes the top spot, Helos second. If used properly they are a great asset. They are a force multiplier, reduce liability during pursuits, natural disaster response and are invaluable for searches. It always helps to have an "eye in the sky."

The taxpayers benefit from the unit no doubt. I agree with Scapecchi, we need boots on the ground before we have a fully staffed air unit.

McMorgan on the other hand wants to tap the coast gaurd, CAP, and customs to fill the air unit need. We lose the ability to control how and when the Helos are used. We lose the availabilty. We lose the response time that is valuable to capture criminals.

[Deputy Dooley]

Amen to that.

The Air Unit may need to be scaled back until patrol and investigations is fully staffed, but maintaining at least a part time air unit is invaluable.

And lets not forget... the S.O. has 3 helicopters, but does not use them all. Only one is used for primary operations, one is a back up for when the primary is down, and the third is for parts. Only one is operational at a time (except in emergencies, when you may use the primary and back-up at the same time, but I have only seen this happen twice.)

The third helo has been scavenged for parts. But the deal with the helo provider specified how the helo would be used. Currently RMc is utilizing $154,000 of LET funds to replace scavenged parts to return the 3rd helo to its provider. Sure hope the job is completed prior to RMc leaving office.


What a waste of $154,000.

[Deputy Dooley]

You wouldnt feel like it was a waste if it found your loved one that had been missing, or helped police catch a person who murdered your family members.

And lets keep this in perpective... $154,000 in an 80 million budget is less than 1% of the year's money.

[SilverSurfer]

The third helo has been scavenged for parts. But the deal with the helo provider specified how the helo would be used. Currently RMc is utilizing $154,000 of LET funds to replace scavenged parts to return the 3rd helo to its provider. Sure hope the job is completed prior to RMc leaving office.


What a waste of $154,000.

I wonder if it would be cheaper to keep it as a "can bird" then to put that much cash in it just to return it. It costs nothing to keep it in the hanger.

The question of whether they are a good law enforcement tool is not the real issue. Certainly they are. Just as up to date communications equipment is, just like well trained officers on the street are, just like the many other present day law enforcement tools; lap-tops, CAD, tazers, etc.

The issue is are they practical and cost efficient for an agency that covers a population based of around 300,000. Escambia County is no New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas each with populations in the multi millions.

Those densely populate highly urbanized areas have crime problems that requires tools like helo copters. It’s not uncommon for there to be multiple high speed chases, bank robberies and in progress kidnapping to be occurring at the same time in those areas.

We may go weeks without a high speed chase, bank robbery or other high profile crime.

The facts are they are expensive and unless there is a frequent use for them to be airborne, the money spent for them can be better utilized to hire more deputies and to keep from having to lay off other employees due to budget cuts.

If Escambia County wants to employ high priced equipment like helicopters, the public needs to vote to allow casinos to open here so the millions of dollars that leave the county every year to Biloxi would stay here and could be used for the enhanced equipment. In addition to the money that leaves here, Escambia could capture many more millions from those who travel from Santa Rosa, Oklaoosa, and Walton counties as well as all over south east Alabama to deposit their money in Biloxi

[Deputy Dooley]

We may go weeks without a high speed chase, bank robbery or other high profile crime.

This is a total lie. Go pull the activity logs and inform yourself before looking like an idiot.

[SilverSurfer]

The question of whether they are a good law enforcement tool is not the real issue. Certainly they are. Just as up to date communications equipment is, just like well trained officers on the street are, just like the many other present day law enforcement tools; lap-tops, CAD, tazers, etc.

The issue is are they practical and cost efficient for an agency that covers a population based of around 300,000. Escambia County is no New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas each with populations in the multi millions.

Those densely populate highly urbanized areas have crime problems that requires tools like helo copters. It’s not uncommon for there to be multiple high speed chases, bank robberies and in progress kidnapping to be occurring at the same time in those areas.

We may go weeks without a high speed chase, bank robbery or other high profile crime.

The facts are they are expensive and unless there is a frequent use for them to be airborne, the money spent for them can be better utilized to hire more deputies and to keep from having to lay off other employees due to budget cuts.

If Escambia County wants to employ high priced equipment like helicopters, the public needs to vote to allow casinos to open here so the millions of dollars that leave the county every year to Biloxi would stay here and could be used for the enhanced equipment. In addition to the money that leaves here, Escambia could capture many more millions from those who travel from Santa Rosa, Oklaoosa, and Walton counties as well as all over south east Alabama to deposit their money in Biloxi

You are obviously not in law enforcement. We have shootings here in Escambia county on a daily basis. As well as other violent crimes. Walton County which is much smaller department and population wise employs two choppers. How much money would you pay to save a loved one? If one life can be saved by reducing the chances of a crash during a pursit it was worth every penny.

It is Taser....not Tazer.....