Airframe still airborne

Justice Department
grant keeps
sheriff's copter in
air

Two months after Escambia County Sheriff
David Morgan took office in 2008, he
grounded the two Sheriff's Office
helicopters, saying they were two
expensive for the taxpayers to operate.

But since summer 2010, one of the
helicopters has been flying high, thanks to
a $198,300 grant from the U.S. Justice
Department of Justice. And when that grant
expires in February, another $173,718
renewal of the grant already has been lined
up to keep the chopper aloft at least
through September.

Before Morgan took office, the Sheriff's
Office's two helicopters cost about
$900,000 a year, paid out of the regular
budget. Now, with only one chopper used
on a sporadic basis, and one crew instead
of five, the cost is far less and is covered
by grant money.

"We don't fly it unless it's absolutely
necessary," Morgan said, adding that he
makes the decision "on a case-by-case
basis."

Still, the Sheriff's Office is glad to have a
helicopter on call.


"I think it's a tremendous benefit to the
Sheriff's Office and the community," Chief
Deputy Larry Aiken said. "It's a great tool to
help deputies on the street to catch the
bad guys."

The News Journal requested Sheriff's Office
records on the use of the helicopter since
the $198,300 Justice Assistance Grant was
awarded in August 2010. The records
show:

» The air unit was activated 114 times
through Dec. 2, the date the public records
request was made.

» In that period, the unit spent a total of
97.6 hours in the air.

» At the time of the request, the Sheriff's
Office had exhausted just $99,064 of the
$198,300 grant.

» In incidents in which the air unit
participated, 55 arrests were made, eight
missing persons were found and 93
marijuana plants were located.
Plenty left

As long as the Sheriff's Office continues to
use the unit at current levels, it's highly
unlikely the grants will be exhausted, Aiken
said.

He said that with nearly $800,000 in
expenses cut, Aiken said it wouldn't be
such an onerous expense if the Sheriff's
Office were to bear it again.

"We'd probably get the support of the
administrator and the County Commission,"
Aiken said. "But it's still not the right time
with the economy the way it is. As long as
we're getting the grant, we might as well
use it."


Midway through 2012, the department will
try to replenish the grant.

By the time it expires, the grant will have
provided $61,900 in salary and benefits
over 15 months for the helicopter's pilot,
Rich Hunt, plus $103,000 in equipment
upgrades and nearly $34,000 in supplies,
including fuel. Hunt, who previously had
flown the unit, was hired in March 2010.

The grant funds new equipment for
Sheriff's Office cruisers, including
fingerprint scanners, license-plate readers
and computer storage for in-dash video.

The first time after the grant was awarded
after the unit was activated was in an Oct.
22, 2010, search for a missing Alzheimer's
disease patient who had wandered from
his home. The man later was located by
ground officers at a nearby supermarket.
The unit was not activated again until
March 1.
The air unit proved vital in making an
arrest in a recent bank robbery, according
to chief observer Sgt. Vincent Odenbrett.

On Dec. 1, a man robbed the Members
First Credit Union on Airport Boulevard.
After the robbery, the suspect left in a taxi
cab.

"Once that happens, you realize how many
taxis there are (on the road)," Odenbrett
said.

While ground units were tied up looking for
the suspect in taxis, a piece of technology
Odenbrett wouldn't describe showed the
suspect was near the Rave theater on W
street. With the help of the air unit and off-
duty Deputy Troy Brown, a man was
arrested at nearby Sam's Fun City.
Odenbrett didn't hesitate to say what would
have happened had the unit still been
grounded.

"He would have gotten away," Odenbrett
said.

The unit also recently spent four hours in
the air assisting deputies as they served
warrants in the multi-agency "Anything for
a Buck" operation targeting stolen guns.
Twenty-five people were arrested with the
assistance of the unit.

The unit's usage has trended upward since
it was regularly activated beginning in
March, but the increase still hasn't
approached the funding provided by the
grant.
Here is a month-by-month look at flights by the Escambia County Sheriff's Office air unit since a federal grant got the unit back in the air.

October 2010 1

March 2011 5

April 9

May 12

June 6

July 12

August 16

September 22

October 19

November 10

» At the time of the request, the Sheriff's
Office had exhausted just $99,064 of the
$198,300 grant.

I think someone is playing with the numbers. The salary of the pilot and observer (Sergeant) add up to more that $99,064. I remember just after the pilot was hired back, he went around telling everyone that his salary was being for out of the grant. I wonder if they changed this before or after the request?

[Deputy Dooley]

There is a lot of mis-information there. First, we didn't have 5 crews before. Second, if we have spent around 100k this year, even if there were 5 crews before, hence 5 times the costs, that would only come to $500,000 yearly, not $900,000.

I always knew the Sheriff would find a way to bring the helicopter back when it got closer to the election so he could say "look what I have been able to do through my superior management."

Meanwhile we have no raises for anybody except the chosen few civilians.

This is not the Sheriff. This is Aiken! One day the Sheriff is going to figure out that he made a big mistake putting Aiken in as Chief.

You really are a bunch of worthless turkeys. You complained when we lost the helicopters. And you complain when we get it back on a grant. BTW the bird has been back for about a year now on grant money. Long, Long before election day. It's a good enforcement tool. We are lucky to have it. We are also lucky that it's not coming out of the agency budget. We got a grant for 20 deputies. There are no grants for extra salary. You can blame the economy and the commissioners for that.

The helicopter has been back for more than a year and has been paid for through our agencies funds. This grant BS is just that, a lot of BS. The math doesn't add up. It doesn't add up for the extra deputies either. We have NOT added 20 new deputies in addition to what we have and retained them. Which is why the courthouse is now claimed as boots on the ground. This is all smoke and mirrors and the truth of the matter is, that until the media picks it up, Morgan will continue to spread his lies and the public will love it.

The helicopter has been back for more than a year and has been paid for through our agencies funds. This grant BS is just that, a lot of BS. The math doesn't add up. It doesn't add up for the extra deputies either. We have NOT added 20 new deputies in addition to what we have and retained them. Which is why the courthouse is now claimed as boots on the ground. This is all smoke and mirrors and the truth of the matter is, that until the media picks it up, Morgan will continue to spread his lies and the public will love it.

Now, now, you know how silly you slick-sleeve GED-toters look when you profess to understand budget items based upon your vast experience in counting your change to pay for your doughnuts, not to mention the incredible humor of you talking about the 'math doesn't add up'.

Why, if you could do math you wouldn't have been lying on your ED and OT time sheets during the Fair and Ivan, now would you, another wasteful practice that Morgan stopped...oh , wait a minute , THAT's why you're angry, you can't steal from the taxpayers anymore, but Powell would let you...

Let's break this down to the basics. You know. Keep it simple. OK here comes the hard question.
Do you want the helicopter or not?
One more question.
To whatever degree the grant pays for the helicopter is that a good thing?

I think the answers are Yes and Yes. What do you think? Or do you???

» At the time of the request, the Sheriff's
Office had exhausted just $99,064 of the
$198,300 grant.

I think someone is playing with the numbers. The salary of the pilot and observer (Sergeant) add up to more that $99,064. I remember just after the pilot was hired back, he went around telling everyone that his salary was being for out of the grant. I wonder if they changed this before or after the request?

I cannot believe that some of you complain NO MATTER what. You whine when we lost it and you whine when we have it back. The salary of the pilot comes from the grant not the observer and when you add it miscellaneous expenses, it seems feasible. We just had block training and you had the opportunity to ask the Sergeant anything since he was forthright in answering any questions but it figures you would stay quiet and get on an anonymous blog and slam the unit. I asked him numerous questions and I learned a lot that I had misconceptions about. If you want to be a man, call him and don't be a sissy. I cannot see the pilot walking around boasting anything so honestly you are lying!

» At the time of the request, the Sheriff's
Office had exhausted just $99,064 of the
$198,300 grant.

I think someone is playing with the numbers. The salary of the pilot and observer (Sergeant) add up to more that $99,064. I remember just after the pilot was hired back, he went around telling everyone that his salary was being for out of the grant. I wonder if they changed this before or after the request?

I cannot believe that some of you complain NO MATTER what. You whine when we lost it and you whine when we have it back. The salary of the pilot comes from the grant not the observer and when you add it miscellaneous expenses, it seems feasible. We just had block training and you had the opportunity to ask the Sergeant anything since he was forthright in answering any questions but it figures you would stay quiet and get on an anonymous blog and slam the unit. I asked him numerous questions and I learned a lot that I had misconceptions about. If you want to be a man, call him and don't be a sissy. I cannot see the pilot walking around boasting anything so honestly you are lying!

Call him and the minute you hang up, his next call is to Aiken!