$3.5 million approved for new police helicopter

After hours of debate and a tight seven to six vote, city council approved $3.5 million for a new police helicopter to replace the agingAir-1 and Air-2.

I think theyre a valuable tool in the police arsenal for crime prevention, said Coun. Dave Loken, who voted for the measure.

Mayor Don Iveson, who voted in favour of the new chopper,said he sees value in theprogram, but he isn't sure the proposed model meets the needs of the city because of noise concerns.

• Edmonton Police want $14M for two new helicopters
• Police helicopter program may be grounded

Council asked the mayorto lobby helicopter manufacturer Airbus to create a single engine chopper that produces less noise.

Before the police commission can buy a replacement helicopter, council wants to see a report on the justification for the model they decide to purchase.

The commission initially asked for a much larger twin-engine chopper at a cost of $7 million, but a majority of councilfelt it wasn't worth the expense.

Some councillors, like Andrew Knack, felt that even the single-engine aircraft wasn't worth the cost.

Im glad that less is being spent," he said, pointingout that current police helicopters are grounded many days of the year because of weather.

There are a lot of things that people want in this budget. There comes a point where you have to say no, we just cant spend this much.

He said that with technological changes and more police agencies turning to drones, he didn't feel that the helicopter was a good investment.

• On mobile? Listen to interview with Andrew Knack here