New police helicopter for county
Monday 23rd February 2009, 12:45PM GMT.
A new police helicopter will soon be flying over Shropshire, as part of a big boost in national funding.
Six state-of-the-art helicopters will help officers tackle crime, thanks to a £5 million programme announced by police minister Vernon Coaker. The machine to be shared by West Mercia and Staffordshire constabularies will be used in a trial project.
It will enable neighbouring Midlands police forces to work together for the first time on air operations by sending the nearest available aircraft to incidents across force borders.
Mr Coaker said: “Air support units play a crucial role in helping police protect communities against crime. They help officers with a wide range of operations, from searching for offenders or missing people, to assisting other emergency services with transporting injured people.”
The helicopters are fitted with a powerful searchlight and an airborne public loudspeaker system.
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If the Govt can come up with money for this how come the Air Ambulance still has to rely on charitable donations?
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Its bad enough now trying to get Police to attend an incident, but now they have a new plaything lets hope the cost is reflected in a lowering of crimes and an improvement of detection and convictions
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Police and Fire Services have always had far far better funding than Ambulance Services. Of course, ultimately its the taxpayer that pays for things like helicopters for the police.
I happen to believe that it is important that police forces have a viable helicopter service. But all their other services should be viable too – and that means coppers on the beat too.
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will shropshire be featured on one of those Police Helicopter TV programmes now?
In the last 18 months or so we’ve had
Chopper Coppers (ITV)
Helicopter Heroes (BBC)
Police Interceptors (Five)
Highland Emergency (Five)
Sky Cops (BBC)
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Once again West Mercia has rooked us the taxpayers with their exorbitant demands. Year after year they push their share of the Council Tax to the limit and it appears to go through on “the nod” withou question or query. As for the West mercia Police Authority, they should be sacked, they are supposed to be there to look after our interests as well as providing an effective Police Force. One thing is certain, they have no idea what our interests are. We are paying more and more for less and less.
This is an expensive item which should have been considered after an effective foot patrol service has been provided, we are still waiting for the latter.
West Mercia are a disgrace and appear to have forgotten why they are there.
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