The force is aiming to sell its current MD902 Explorer helicopter, known as India 99, because it is `slowly deteriorating and is no longer fit for purpose' and buy a new one for £4.2m.
The plan comes at a time when GMP is struggling to balance its budget. Last year, 216 posts were axed amid £14m cuts. This year the force is still having to keep a close eye on its finances.
However, it has a huge reserve fund - thanks mainly to profits from selling police stations - which it can only spend on `capital' projects such as a new helicopter.
The current craft was bought for £2.8m and has done 6,300 flying hours since it went into service six years ago. It works alongside the BN4000 Defender aircraft.
A Home Office grant of £1.28m has already been secured towards any purchase and bosses reckon they could get £1.3m for the current helicopter. That would mean the force would have to find £2.1m to fund its replacement. But police say they must place a firm order now to get the best deal. A report by Chief Constable Mike Todd recommending the force moves quickly to buy a replacement was being presented to Greater Manchester Police Authority today.
It says the existing helicopter should be sold within two years before its value falls markedly because of increasing maintenance costs and the difficulty of finding suppliers.
The current craft transmits pictures to the ground using microwaves, which police will be banned from using in the next few years, according to the report. Forces will have to equip aircraft with digital downlinks.
The report warns the Police Authority must act swiftly. "If the force is to benefit from favourable terms and conditions… and to be certain of receiving a Home Office grant, an order has to be placed by April 30, 2007," it said.
The force has already placed a tentative order with the manufacturer in Arizona, USA.
john.scheerhout@men-news.co.uk
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I am not suprised its worn out, it was airbourne the other day when a kid stole a packet of crisp from the local shop.
it comes out for the daftest of things nowadays, it was supposed to be to follow get away cars and reduce car chases.
Well if i win the lottery i'll donate the money!
Since the Eccles crew have been arranged the police car team have been brill!
Just hope it carries on improving under Todd and Labour give you more money to sort out this dump called Manchester!
Sounds like the Helicopter and the Home Office have much in common.
with the amount of crime in Manchester is one going to be enough
Is there really any point? We are the most spied upon nation in the world, why not just tap into CCTV instead and get the job done even cheaper.
The money would be better spent on more new officers. The primary job of the Police is not to catch criminals, it's to deter the crime from taking place at all.
GMP obviously needs a replacement and maybe the force should do what others' do - 'buy now, worry about paying for it later'.
It's not as if they (we), have not had their (our) money's worth out of the existing aircraft, is it.
I find it's presence reassuring.
Maybe if the time fitted the crime we might not need to use the helicopter so much "Chasing kids in stolen cars" Maybe if we started birching this scum it would save all of us a lot of agro?
You see India 99 on TV programs like 'Helicops', Crime Fighters and other Police documentarys and its great watching them chase petty criminals until you find out they after a chase which cost the tax payer £10,000 - £50,000 in Tax payers money/ police time, court time etc only for the criminal to be let off with a community order or caution.... you wonder what the point is! These kids have a criminal record longer than the wall of china - I know I worked for the most prestigous Prolific offender unit in Europe. They get out of the police station with a slap on the wrist and then get back into another stolen car for another night of fun being chased by the police.
It was hovering over our road on Saturday night for a while - anyone know what was going on about 10.00 pm in Sharston?
Colin, Stockholm: the police in Sweden would be wise to invest in such technology, epsecially for Malmo district. I note that a warehouse fire in the Malmo district over the weekend could not be attended by fire officers, as local youths were stoning them. A helicopter could have helped direct operations, avoiding such wanton violence. Fortunately, the police did escort the firefighters in to tackle it. A helicopter could also have been used to assist the 17 year old Swedish youth beaten unconscious over the weekend by 'six or seven' youths whilst playing football.
With comments like 'ailing' and 'slowly deteriorating', this report makes it sound like the helicopter could fall out of the sky any moment! This isn't really the case is it?
NB, it didnt sound too healthy the other night when it was circling over my house :(
I've heard it a few times in Eccles and I remember about a year or so ago it had the big light on and it scared the living daylights out of me as I was asleep! They way they descrbe it really does make it sound like it is going to fall out of the sky at any mo!!! I'll buy them another one too when I win the lottery.
The helicopter is one of the most requested and used Police tools around.
Look at america where each division has two to three and they are used each and every day with great effect.
I thnk the military should provide a new chopper for GMP instead of pursuing stolen cars around they should just be blown up.
Job done.
Ace Riley is right. Whack em hard for the first offence and we wont need a helicopter
These criminals get in chases for fun. It's seen as a trophy if they get the chopper on their tail !
Nothing will stop these scum bags other than harsh deterents.
Whilst wew are on the subject we can see that car thieves stop at nothing to get what they want. Car security is so much better these days in terms of getting in and starting the vehicles- so what do they do? They break your door down and steel the keys using threatening violent behavior in the process if required ! And if us victims were to clout one of these low lives and knock them out to the ground we would be done for assault !!! No wonder the cheeky gits are so cocky and confident!! The law works in their favour !! Rant Over !!
The helicopter is not just for stolen cars, it provides air to ground support for serious road accidents, carrying injured people to hospital, looking for missing persons, filming and monitoring areas for a variety of reasons and no they do not come out when somebody steals a packet of crisps! They do a lot of work that is not revealed to the public too. It is not a play thing and has to account for every flight on a regular basis. The only thing is, it is only 6 or 7 years old, whereas the old helicopter remained in service for around 11 or 12 years. Is this helicopter not very good or is there another reason?
I do think the courts are far too lenient with prosecutions. I do not believe in being easy for the first offence, if you break the law, you must pay. And if you are a repeat offender, you must pay in a huge way. I am sick of excuses that it is somebody else's fault. You are responsible for your actions, nobody else.