‘Why is it four times more expensive?’ City to purchase pricey new police chopper

Taylor Brock reports on the city’s move to buy a new police helicopter amid concerns about its price tag.

The City of Winnipeg is moving forward with the purchase of a new police helicopter, but it will pay around $10 million more than what the last chopper cost.

On Thursday, a majority of city council voted in favour of buying the new helicopter for the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS).

“The police helicopter, in my mind, provides a very important value to community safety and public safety,” Mayor Scott Gillingham told reporters, describing it as a vital tool.

The current police helicopter is 14 years old, out of production, and costly to repair. This has prompted WPS to request a new helicopter to replace the old one.

With council’s vote Thursday, the city will now enter into a lease-to-own agreement to purchase the new helicopter for $13.48 million, paying nearly $75,000 monthly over 15 years.

That multi-million dollar price tag raised concerns from some members of council.

Couns. Brian Mayes and Jason Schreyer pointed out when the city purchased the previous chopper in 2010, it cost $3.49 million – a cost that included the building of a hanger.

“Why is it four times more expensive?” Mayes questioned. “I don’t oppose a helicopter in theory. I oppose a report that is a 400 per cent increase… from $3.5 million in 2010 to $14 million now. It is a huge increase.”

Mayes suggested it may be smarter to purchase the helicopter outright, as that would reduce the price. However, that was not considered as an option in the report to council.

When asked about this, Mayor Gillingham directed reporters to reach out to police for more details.

CTV News is awaiting comment from the WPS.

Gillingham said he has asked police about the potential for using drones instead of a helicopter.

“That is something the police are looking at, but they have indicated that they aren’t there yet,” he told council, adding police are watching the advancements in technology.

Coun. Markus Chambers, chair of the Winnipeg Police Board, noted the cost of the helicopter includes maintenance costs. He said the agreement also allows the city to opt out should new technology – such as drones – become viable.