PCC quits air support board over helicopter spend

A police and crime commissioner (PCC) has quit his role on the body providing air support to police forces because of the amount of money being spent on helicopters.

Wiltshire PCC Philip Wilkinson stepped down from the board of the National Police Air Service (NPAS) after it ordered a further two helicopters in addition to the seven already commissioned.

Wilkinson, who represented all five West and South West police forces at the NPAS, said the new helicopters risked "a serious misuse of public money" and more should be spent on drones and advances in artificial intelligence (AI).

NPAS said the funding for helicopters had been approved by the Home Office as part of replacing the ageing fleet.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Air support is a crucial element of modern policing, providing vital capabilities for searches, public safety, and tackling crime.

"We remain committed to working with PCCs and NPAS to ensure resources are used effectively to deliver the best outcomes for the public."

The first dedicated police drones unit launched in 2017, and the Home Office said to date £11m has been spent on police drones.

In a statement, Wilkinson said the funds needed for the new helicopters placed a "disproportionate" financial burden on smaller forces that rarely made use of them.

"I cannot be associated with a decision which, in my view, risks representing a serious misuse of public money at a time when policing must be focused on efficiency and modernisation," he said.

Wilkinson said across the area he represented, the cost to police for planes, helicopters and their bases was £6.8m for the last financial year.

The spending is split between Gloucestershire Police, Avon and Somerset, Wiltshire, Devon and Cornwall and Dorset Police - with Wiltshire Police contributing £595,000.

"That means vast sums of taxpayers' money are being spent on a service which, in practice, provides limited benefit to the communities paying for it," Wilkinson said.

He argued drone technology is "more flexible, more responsive and better aligned to the types of incidents our officers are dealing with every day".

Wilkinson said continuing to invest the bulk of funding into traditional aircraft "risks missing a significant opportunity to deliver more efficient, modern policing".

NPAS said: "These aircraft will modernise the NPAS fleet, replacing older helicopters and ensuring police forces across England and Wales continue to benefit from reliable, resilient and effective air support, 24 hours a day."

It added that the helicopters would be delivered through the existing procurement programme, saying: "This approach maximises efficiency while maintaining operational continuity."

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