December 22, 2004 |
2004-R-0931 | |
FUNDING FOR POLICE HELICOPTERS | ||
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By: Veronica Rose, Principal Analyst | ||
You want to know how police departments in other states get money to buy and maintain their helicopters. This report is based on information from 21 law enforcement entities, including sheriff’s departments and local, county, and state police departments.
Of the 21 law enforcement departments that provided information for this report, 11 do not have a helicopter program. Of the 10 that have such programs, four bought their helicopters with funds appropriated by the state and one with funds appropriated by the county. Three departments used bond funds to purchase their helicopters, one acquired its helicopters for free under the federal Military Surplus Program, and one used money from its state’s drug asset forfeiture program (see Table 1).
Most of the departments pay for the maintenance of their helicopters out of their operating budget with money appropriated from the state General Fund (or County General Fund in the case of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department). Money for North Carolina State Highway Patrol’s budget is appropriated from the state Highway Fund, which is similar to Connecticut’s Transportation Fund and contains money collected from motor vehicle- and transportation-related fines. Only New Jersey has a dedicated fund for helicopter maintenance. It is called the Medical Service Helicopter Response Program Fund and is financed by a $ 1 per year surcharge on motor vehicle registration (NJS Ann. § 26: 2K-36. 1).
Table 1: Source of Funding for Acquisition and Maintenance of Police Helicopters
Law Enforcement Entity |
Source of Funding for Initial Purchase |
Source of Funding for Maintenance |
Comment |
Colorado State Patrol |
No helicopter program |
NA |
NA |
Delaware State Police |
Bond Funds |
Department’s operating budget (money from state appropriations) |
The department has four helicopters |
Florida Highway Patrol |
No helicopter program |
NA |
NA |
Iowa State Police |
No helicopter program |
NA |
The department does not have any helicopters, but it has seven fixed wing aircrafts. It bought two with a federal grant and five with department funds. All are maintained with department funds. |
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department |
County General Fund (12 helicopters); Military surplus program (3 helicopters) |
County General Fund |
The department has 15 helicopters (12 Eurocopter patrol helicopters and 3 Sikorsky helicopters). The Eurocopters were bought with county funds under a 7-year tax free municipal lease. Approximately half of each lease payment comes from funding generated by state the drug seizure program. The department obtained the three Sikorsky helicopters under the federal Military Surplus Program and spent about $ 3 million (mostly county general fund money and some private donations) to refurbish them. Maintenance costs for all the helicopters total about $ 3 million |
Maine State Police |
No helicopter program |
NA |
NA |
Nevada Highway Patrol |
No helicopter program |
NA |
NA |
Nevada Public Safety Department |
No helicopter program |
NA |
The department does not have any helicopters. It has two fixed wing Cessna aircrafts. Funding information for these was unavailable. |
New Jersey State Police |
State budget appropriations |
$ 1 surcharge on motor vehicle registrations placed in a special dedicated fund called the Emergency Medical Service Helicopter Response Program Fund (NJS Ann. Sec. 26: 2K-36. 1) |
The department currently has seven helicopters—four for medical evacuation services and three for police work. |
New Mexico State Police |
State General Fund appropriation |
State General Fund appropriation |
The department has one Augusta 109 power |
North Carolina State Highway Patrol |
Military surplus program at no cost |
General operating budget, which is supported by state Highway Fund |
The department has nine functional helicopters and one that it uses for spare parts |
North Dakota |
No helicopter program |
NA |
NA |
Oregon State Police |
No helicopter program |
NA |
The helicopter program was disbanded by the legislature several years ago. At that time, the department had six helicopters that it acquired under the Military Surplus Program; these were traded for one L jet ranger 206 B3 helicopter. The money for upkeep and maintenance came from the department’s general operating budget. |
Phoenix Police Department (Phoenix Air Support Unit) |
Local bond funds |
Department’s operating fund |
The department has 11 helicopters. Ten were purchased with local Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) bond funds, and one was obtained through a lease/purchase agreement. The department will pay off the lease when CIP bond funds become available in 2006. |
Rhode Island State Police |
No helicopter program |
NA |
NA |
South Carolina Highway Patrol |
No helicopter program |
NA |
NA |
Tennessee Highway Patrol |
State General Fund (4 Bell Jet Rangers); Military surplus (1 Huey helicopter) |
State General Fund; federal Drug Enforcement Agency funds of approximately $ 300,000 per year; occasional funds from the federal Emergency Management Agency |
The department has four Bell jet rangers, which are about 30 years old. Money to purchase these came from the General Fund. The department also has a Huey helicopter, which it got under the Military Surplus program |
Texas Department of Public Safety |
Drug forfeiture and other forfeited funds |
State funds appropriated to the department |
The department operates eight helicopters and eight fixed wing aircrafts |
Tucson Police Department |
Local bond funds |
Tucson Police Department general operating budget, which is funded by the city’s General Fund |
The department has three helicopters, which were bought with bond funds (certificates of participation which are government bonds generally used to buy equipment with a life span of more than 10 years). They are secured by the actual equipment purchased as opposed to general obligation. The department previously owned three helicopters that were purchased with general obligation bond funding |
Virginia State Police |
State General Fund |
State General Fund |
Department has seven helicopters, including four Bell 407’s and three Eurocopters (The five new helicopters were financed over 10 years) |
Wisconsin State Police |
No helicopter program |
NA |
NA |
VR: ro