Internal Affairs: San Jose Police Department cleared for new helicopter after years of hand-wringing

SAN JOSE — SJPD is finally getting to the chopper.

After a multi-year odyssey which included the grounding of the air unit due to budget cuts and a Justice Department audit accusing the city of inappropriately stockpiling federal funds for a chopper buy that hadn’t happened, a shiny new helicopter appears to now be in the works.

For real this time: On Tuesday, the San Jose City Council unanimously approved $5.2 million in funding for the purchase of an H125 helicopter from Texas-based Airbus Helicopters. The new aircraft will replace the current “Air2” unit, an Airbus EC-120B that has been in use for about 16 years, which is nearly twice its recommended lifespan.

Part of that stems from the fact that nearly every year since 2010, the department budgeted funds to buy a new chopper, but saw those plans derailed for a myriad of reasons. That included the suspension of the helicopter unit in 2011 for austerity purposes.

That indecision was part of what drew the wrath of the Justice Department, which released an audit earlier this year chiding SJPD for sloppy bookkeeping with “equitable sharing revenue” the police agency earned from federal asset forfeitures. In essence, the department was found to be sitting on hundreds of thousands of related funds that were meant to be spent expeditiously.

In a report presented Tuesday, those federal funds are expected to account for nearly $3.5 million of the total helicopter cost.

The hefty price tag for the new helicopter breaks down to a $3 million base price, plus about $2.2 million in modifications to make it police-ready, including a spotlight, infrared and low-light cameras, and an array of radios, computers and other tactical gear. That’s not including a $500,000 sales tax bill.

With a more reliable and powerful helicopter in the Airbus H125, the four pilots on the force — who are all sworn officers — will once again be able to take to the skies more often, and for longer stretches. There is also room for four passengers in addition to the two requisite co-pilots for each flight, where only one additional person could fit on the old unit.

“We can transport people in times of emergency,” SJPD special-operations Capt. Loyd Kinsworthy said. “We can extend our flight times. It will go back to flying seven days a week.”

All things considered, the pending purchase — officials expect a 4-to-6 month delivery time — is welcome news to Kinsworthy’s unit, which has been stretching the old helicopter by limiting its air time and shelling out for more frequent and expensive repairs. The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol have lent air support to the city to fill in the gaps.

“We’ve gone well beyond the typical lifespan for Air2,” Kinsworthy said. “A helicopter is such a valuable tool. It was definitely needed.”

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