University of South Carolina Study

Geoffrey P. Alpert
College of Criminal Justice
University of South Carolina
John MacDonald
and
Angela Gover
Department of Criminology
University of Maryland

There are many factors that a department should consider when deciding whether or not helicopters are worth the expense. The paper is divided into five sections. 

First, section I is a brief description of the history of the use of helicopters in policing. This section provides the reader with background information. 

Next, section II examines various uses of the helicopter in policing as measures of its potential benefit. Specific attention and detail is paid to the use of helicopters in high speed pursuits due to the fact that this is an issue of financial concern to most police departments. 

The third section (III) assesses the costs of using helicopters. 

The fourth section (IV) attempts to provide a cost-benefit analysis of the potential tradeoffs police departments should consider when implementing helicopter technology. The list of costs and benefits is not meant to be exhaustive but to provide a basic framework for the discussion. 

Finally, section V is an overview of the approach departments should take when considering this issue. This policy question is directed at police departments with a population base of 250,000 or more residents, since (with a few exceptions) municipalities of lesser size typically cannot afford a helicopter.

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