Columbus Police unveiled its two new helicopters on Wednesday afternoon. The new additions bring the Columbus agency's fleet to five.
The new Bell 505 Basic Aircraft helicopters cost nearly $6 million, which Columbus City Council approved unanimously last June. Columbus police also currently employ 21 helicopter pilots.
Columbus police negotiated with the Federal Aviation Administration for a new agreement allowing the helicopters to fly higher, which will make them quieter to residents.
“These camera systems can see from miles away to read a license on a vehicle that's fleeing,” Deputy Chief Rob Sagle said. “They could do things from different altitudes, different flight profiles that we never used to be able to fly with the older technology.”
Sagle added that the new camera technology on the helicopters allows police cruisers to back off a chase. This creates a safer environment for drivers on the road.
Sagle acknowledged that other police departments across the state, including the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, opt to use drones as a cheaper alternative to helicopters.
“A helicopter's really good for your foot chases, vehicle chases or anything where things are going to move a substantial area, whereas a drone is much more limited,” Sagle said. “They don't have that long of an endurance to be able to sustain those longer missions.”
The department received the new helicopters in late December. Crews trained with the new technology for several months before starting to use them last month.
