January 25, 2005 |
2005-R-0116 | |
FUNDING FOR POLICE HELICOPTERS | ||
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By: Veronica Rose, Principal Analyst | ||
You want to know where police departments in other states get money to buy and maintain their helicopters. You especially want to know if any states have dedicated funding for their helicopter programs and if any use Homeland Security funds for these purposes. This report updates OLR Report 2004-R-0931 and is based on information from 34 law enforcement departments, including sheriff's departments and local, county, and state police departments.
Of the 34 law enforcement departments that provided information for this report, 12 do not have a helicopter program. Of those with programs, most bought their helicopters with funds appropriated by the state and maintain them with money from their general operating budgets (see Table 1).
Only New Jersey and Maryland State Police departments have dedicated funding for their helicopter programs. New Jersey's Medical Service Helicopter Response Program Fund is financed by a $1 per year surcharge on motor vehicle registration (NJS Ann. § 26:2K-36.1). According to the Maryland State Police, the Maryland Emergency Medical System Fund is financed by a surcharge on motor vehicle registrations (Md. Code Ann. § 713).
Two departments—the California Highway Patrol and Minnesota State Police—bought their helicopters using some Homeland Security funds.
Table 1: Source of Funding Police Helicopter Programs in Select States
Law Enforcement Entity |
Source of Funding for Initial Purchase |
Source of Funding for Maintenance |
Comment |
Broward Sheriffs Department |
Department budget |
Department operating budget |
Department has two helicopters |
California Highway Patrol |
Federal grant & Homeland Security funds |
Department operating budget |
Department has eight helicopters |
Colorado State Patrol |
No helicopter program |
NA |
NA |
Delaware State Police |
Bond funds |
Department operating budget (money from state appropriations) |
Department has four helicopters |
Florida Highway Patrol |
No helicopter program |
NA |
NA |
Iowa State Police |
No helicopter program |
NA |
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. |
Kansas Highway Patrol |
Military surplus |
Operating budget and limited funds from the state drug asset forfeiture program |
Department has four military surplus OH-58 helicopters; planning to buy another with drug asset forfeiture funds |
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department |
County General Fund (12 helicopters); military surplus (3 helicopters) |
County General Fund |
The department has 15 helicopters (12 Eurocopter patrol helicopters and three 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 from the state 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. |
Louisiana State Police |
General Fund appropriations and military surplus |
Department operating budget |
Department has seven helicopters |
Maine State Police |
No helicopter program |
NA |
NA |
Maryland State Police |
Dedicated funds and other |
Dedicated funds and other |
Department acquired its fleet of 12 helicopters over a 12-year period. It bought six in 1987 with money from the state Transportation Fund, which is funded by a 5-cent per gallon gas tax; three in 1992 and 1993 with Transportation Fund money and money from the sale of some old helicopters. In 1993 the legislature created a dedicated helicopter fund by putting a surcharge on motor vehicle registrations. Helicopters purchased since then have been bought mostly with money from the fund and General Fund money. |
Massachusetts State Police |
Capital bond authorizations |
Department operating budget |
Department operates five turbine-powered helicopters, four American Eurocopters, and one 350BA single engine Astar |
Minnesota State Police |
State Trunk Highway Fund (similar to Connecticut's Transportation Fund) money; Homeland Security funds for one |
Department operating budget |
Department operates three helicopters |
Mississippi Highway Patrol |
One with General Fund appropriation; the other with General Fund appropriation and small federal grant |
Department operating budget |
Department has two helicopters |
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 helicopter |
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 |
Oklahoma Highway Patrol |
Free from other agencies; Drug asset forfeiture money used to refurbish |
Department operating budget |
Department operates two helicopters and 10 fixed wing planes |
Oregon State Police |
No helicopter program |
NA |
The state disbanded the helicopter program 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. |
Pennsylvania |
Special legislative appropriation in agency budget |
Department budget |
Department has eight helicopters |
Phoenix Police Department (Phoenix Air Support Unit) |
Local bond funds |
Department operating budget |
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 |
San Antonio Police Department |
Federal grant |
Department operating budget |
Department operates four helicopters |
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 appropriations; 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 state General Fund. The department also has a Military Surplus Huey helicopter. |
Texas Public Safety Department |
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 |
Department general operating budget, which is funded by the city's General Fund |
The department has three helicopters, which were bought with bond funds. The department previously owned three helicopters that were purchased with general obligation bond funding. |
Utah Department of Public Safety |
10-year capital lease |
Information unavailable |
Department has two helicopters |
Virginia State Police |
State General Fund appropriations |
State General Fund appropriations |
Department has seven helicopters, including (four Bell 407's and three Eurocopters) (The five newest helicopters were financed over 10 years.) |
Washington State Patrol |
No helicopter program |
NA |
NA |
Wisconsin State Police |
No helicopter program |
NA |
NA |
VR:ro