The Nashville Police Department has nine helicopters. Some (all?) have thermal imaging cameras with microwave video downlinks.
The NYPD, the largest police department in the United States, has eight helicopters.
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to be fair, i would bet that there is a lot less use for choppers in NYC than in Nashville. And a lot less rural areas in NYC too.
According to the latest internal audit that’s available, there isnt a need.
In fact, in 2002, MNPD was chastised for having too many helicopters. They had six, and all were underutilized.
I have no helicopters! According to liberal logic Nashville should give me one! Its my RIGHT!
Erf. Given that the FFG I was stationed on for a while fielded an equivalent platform during its “counter-narco-terrorism” (i.e. counter-drug-runners) deployment, I know just how much those birds cost… And I know just how hard it was to borrow a second for key operations.
Must be nice to have the MNPD’s budget…
At last count, Knox Co. Sheriff’s Dept. had 6 copters — and we’re half the population of Davidson County.
No one in Knoxville media seems to ask where the money comes from, either.