More officers and less helicopters

Harvey Broadway

I disagree with Jason Smith (“Police helicopters an invaluable tool,”

June 17) in relation to his opinion on the Huntington Beach

helicopters, and I disagree on the actual uses he seems to believe

the helicopters are being used for.

Helicopters with pilots on stand-by (as in use in Los Angeles city

and county) can be airborne in minutes and on scene within 8-10

minutes on average in response to the situations he has cited as

reason for full-time airborne operations. These types of response

helicopter operations would be crimes in progress, and felony

situations (bank robberies, burglaries, domestic violence, sexual

assaults, etc.). I have seen the helicopters instructing drivers and

idle vehicles as well as scoping out the beaches, and I believe

recently I witnessed their pursuit of a vehicle down Pacific Coast

Highway, however that is hardly reason for full-time airborne

operations, and I’m speaking of one helicopter, not three.

Lost or missing children, disoriented convalescent home patients,

Lo-jack tracking, and/or On-Star activations (which I highly doubt

the Huntington Beach Police helicopter would respond to, even if they

were overhead at the time), are all response activities that a

grounded helicopter could be on scene in minutes. In the past few

weeks I have witnessed several calls for police response including a

fight in front of Crabby’s just off Main Street where the police

arrived 30-plus minutes after the call and by that time were of no

assistance what so ever, and the helicopter didn’t show up either.

I would suggest that the helicopter, not helicopters, be a

response resource which would free up budget money for more officers

who can actually respond to incidents, and/or money for other public

services. After all the helicopter is not going to be making a

landing to affect an arrest. Just to cover everything, incomplete 911

calls should receive response from patrol units or fire/emergency

vehicles, not helicopters. I believe the city of Huntington Beach

already has little crime and I don’t believe the helicopter

contributes to that, I believe it is the friendly and active people

of Huntington Beach who deserve the credit for that. I have never

lived in a community where people are so friendly, willing to become

involved, willing to help and get to know their neighbors, and aware

of their surroundings as well as the routine of their neighborhood.

All of these types of behavior keep crime down.

* HARVEY BROADWAY is a paramedic and a Huntington Beach resident.

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