I remember the crash into the B&O RR museum...then two other crashes.

Who going to maintain this Aviation Equipment?

I believe mechanical problems were the cause of the accidents. Some pilot training errors too.

I would like to say as a resident of Charles Village that the thought of more helicopter police hovering over our communities makes me scream and shout----this is not a war zone! The noise of those hovering helicopters takes hold of every aspect of your life as long as they are around. It is just another bite out of the quality of life for people in neighborhoods being patrolled by these machines!!

I wonder how many beat cops could be hired with $9.5M? There would be much less need for these things if there was a cop on foot around the corner. I know I would feel much safer and could enjoy my residence much more if the helicopters were gone and an officer I could get to know was riding his bike in my neighborhood.

New Ghetto Birds, yes.
If we got our heads out of our aces, we would build more prisons and find a way to lock people up for 500 a year a person. We can do it, lets start a non profit to build prisons, use volanteer workers and prison labor.

I'd prefer more crime cameras, more beat officers, quicker response time, more squad cars on the street... ETC.

The sound of Foxtrot above is rather unsettling and creates the perception of being unsafe. It buzzes around the Harbor and makes it feel like Vietnam instead of a nice place. People would be more likely to respond positively to mounted officers or foot patrol in that area. Better PR than making it sound like Kabul.

I'd need to see more information on how truly effective a helicopter is, especially when other areas are facing budget shortfalls. Maybe this is just another boys with toys kind of thing. Sure, it's pretty cool to have a helicopter, but what's the trade off?

More cops or new ghetto birds... hmmm what would improve police presence more????

Do they come with machine gun turretts?

They need em'

Alex, just so you will know, that crash that took the life of Barry Wood was caused directly by an engine failure caused by the factory that rebuilt the engine with non-FAA certified mechanics while the regular workers were on strike. Barry wood was a military pilot and the best of the best.

I agree with several of the above comments. The police helicopter constantly hovers near or over my home in southeast baltimore. Despite this near constant presence, we rarely hear of police apprehensions etc that are due to the presence of the helicopter. It seems like a excessive use of limited financial resources. Personally I would feel safer with visible patrols cars than helicopters hovering overhead. It feels like I live in a war zone.

I think new helicopters are well worth the investment . These machines have proved their worth over the years time and time again! I was just wondering whether these machines are made in the USA or abroad. In these tough economic times the city should be spending tax payer money on equipment made in America

I can think of a bunch of better ways to spend $9.5 million. I have my own fantasy of buying one of those tennis ball machines that serves several balls per minute and aiming it straight at that ghettobird the next time it wants to hang over my house for 30 minutes.

What the hell people...every major department has helicopters for a multitude of reasons. Helicopters, like any other piece of machinery with moving parts, eventually need to be replaced. These "new" choppers are not additional, they are replacements.

Now, why? New ones are needed so we don't have another Barry Wood situation. And no, to the one poster, it had nothing to do with maintenance or the BPD, it was crappy parts from a factory where workers were on strike that killer Flight Officer Wood.

Why do we need them? They save lives, they provide an invaluable "eye in the sky" for car chases, burglaries, hostage barricades, building fires, foot chases, building searches, water rescues...I could go on and on.

They are absolutely needed in a city this size with the obstacles the department faces.

As for your feeling "unsettled" with it - DEAL. Get over it. We cops like them. They mean we have an extra set of eyes, sometimes faster than backup can get there. you don't want it sounding like "Vietnam", well wake up, this is a violent city. You should equip the police with the safest tools they need to do the job. Not old choppers in need of repair, but new ones that work well.

Enough on that. For those who don't like them. Deal. If you loved one was one of the cops who Foxtrot backs up every day, you would want them. A little noise disruption is nothing compared to a dead cop. Period.

And I'll say it AGAIN... And I can't find any substantial EVIDENCE (journal article, peer reviewed research etc.) that shows they are effective in reducing crime OVERALL...not whether or not they can get to a scene and cause people to "disperse" (that's NOT prevention) (the only close study was one done in Ontario but the methodology was so flawed to make it unusable in the end). Waste of money. Oh... and what about that "budget" issue? Guess that doesn't matter.(and yes, I know capital budgets are set up years in advance sometimes for fleet purchases - that doesn't mean you HAVE to buy what they suggest)

It seems a major complaint on this blog is that the helicopters remind people that Baltimore is a crime-filled Hell hole.

Well guess what? It is!! Reality is not the helicopters fault. Do yourself a favor, leave the city, and improve your life tenfold.

Everyone cries about crime, but then they whine about an occasional nuisance. Suck it up folks.

It doesn't matter how many cops are on the street. Once these thugs take to the alleys -- especially at night -- there are way too many places to hide. The fact is, these things work.

So make your choice, some noise here and there or more criminals on the street.

Anonymous,

I don't think people should "suck it up" about the crime. I was tired of crystal meth junkies walking in front of my door. So, I left the city. My life is SO much better.

Living in Baltimore really warps your worldview after a while and makes one that think that this level of crime is normal. It's not.

I understand the concerns of city residents. I'm a city cop. I can tell you that we like having the helicopter available. I can also tell you the thugs HATE it. There are times when the helicopter is overhead and a violent criminal is hiding around a corner...or behind a tree and I can't see them...but the helicopter does. So in the cover of darkness, they (the thugs) are waiting to make my wife a widow. A quick radio call from the helicopter, "officer in the rear, next to the 6 foot high privacy fence...the suspect is on the other side with a shotgun...back off, we'll keep him on the FLIR...wait for SWAT". Can a cop on a bike do that? Can a cop on foot do that? How about the crime camera...? Got one in your back yard...next to your 6 foot high privacy fence? Didn't think so. The guys at the helicopter unit have an open door policy for ANYONE. Call them...ask for a tour and presentation on the unit and equipment. It's very easy.

Congrats to Baltimore PD... as a member of a police air support unit in Southern California, the effectiveness of a helicopter overhead, and tactical equipment properly utilized, makes it an asset and 'force multiplier'... able to see and observe things a ground officer could not. And incidents that get videotaped as evidence save lots of $$$ in litigation because it shows the defendent committing the crime. Congrats again.