You asked (1) how many helicopters the New York State Police Department and New York City Police Department have, (2) where the departments get the money to buy and maintain them; and (3) if they use Homeland Security funds for these purposes.

New York State Police Aviation Unit has 13 helicopters, which it purchased through third-party lease contracts. These contracts are refinanced using Personal Income Tax (PIT) bonds issued by the state. PIT bonds are repaid from General Fund appropriations made by the state legislature. The maintenance and operation of these helicopters are also financed by General Fund appropriations. The New York State Police does not use any Homeland Security funds for buying or maintaining its helicopters.

New York City Police Department has seven helicopters, including one counter-terrorism helicopter purchased with federal funds from the Department of Justice. The six other helicopters were purchased with funds from the New York City Department’s operating budget. The funding for the maintenance of all seven helicopters comes from the New York City Department’s budget.

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