Heritage Elementary School students approach San Antonio Police Department helicopter, “Eagle,” for a photo during a 911 Remembrance Ceremony, Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. First responders from various emergency departments were on hand as they were honored by the students.
Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News
San Antonio Express-News
Molly Smith, Staff writer
San Antonio will shell out $23.2 million to replace three of its police helicopters over the next few years.
The City Council was unanimous in greenlighting this budget allocation Thursday. The costs to the city will be spread out over fiscal years 2024, 2025 and 2027 and include flight training for the officers who’ll fly the birds and instruction for the mechanics who’ll maintain them.
Here are four things to know about the San Antonio Police Department’s helicopter unit:
It’s been around for five decades
The unit was formed in 1971. Currently, it has four helicopters, 18 patrol officers, two supervisors and four civilian mechanics, according to Sgt. Daniel Anders, a helicopter detail supervisor.
It assists with searches for missing persons or fleeing suspects. It’s also come in handy during the recent string of “street takeovers” seen in San Antonio, during which crowds block streets while drivers do doughnuts on the road. The helicopters help officers locate these groups and provide information to help those on the ground determine how best to address the situation, Anders said.
The unit also assists the fire department with grass fires and high water rescues and helps other cities and counties the Alamo Area Council of Governments.
The new birds have some cool gear
They’ll be equipped with night vision goggles and antennae connected to the LoJack vehicle recovery system, according to city bidding documents.
LoJack is a homing device you can pay to have installed in your car. If your car is stolen, the device transmits a coded signal to a frequency used by law enforcement. Police use the signal to locate the stolen vehicle. The new SAPD choppers will be equipped to help with that.
The new helicopters should last longer
The city will trade in its three Airbus EC120B models for H125 models, which have about a 20-year life span, according to SAPD spokesperson Sgt. Washington Moscoso. That’s about eight years longer than the EC120B choppers.
Two of SAPD’s existing EC120B choppers were built in 2013, while the other is from 2015.
The trade-ins will reap the city $850,000, according to city documents.
The lone H125 model currently part of SAPD’s fleet was built in 2018.
Airbus offers the biggest ‘bang for our buck’
Police departments can choose from a handful of helicopter makers, but SAPD favors Airbus because its models have the “biggest bang for our buck,” Anders said. The choppers are big enough to fit what he refers to as the “mission equipment,” meaning cameras and computer systems, while still being relatively quiet.
molly.smith@express-news.net