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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 09241996 - D3 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS „ : Contra s Costa FROM: Phil Batchelor o County Administrator �' - •~mak County `7 C'OSTqCOUT��,� DATE: September 24, 1996 SUBJECT: Sheriff's Proposed Use of AB 3229 Funds (Chapter 134, Statutes of 1996) SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONM. 1. HOLD scheduled hearing as required by AB 3229 on Sheriffs request for Government Code 30061(b)(3) front line law enforcement funds. 2. REFER Sheriffs requests to the County Administrator for a report on the short and long term impacts, particularly regarding the proposed Sheriffs helicopter program. BACKGROUND/REASON(S) FOR RECOMMENDATION(S): The Local Law Enforcement Supplemental Funding Act (AB 3229) allocates restricted funds for three separate programs: 1) an estimated $337,691 to the Sheriffs Department for jail construction and operations; 2) an estimated $337,691 to the District Attorney's Office for criminal prosecution; and 3) an estimated $2,026,146 to be allocated to County unincorporated law enforcement and city police departments on the basis of population (of this amount, an estimated $400,000 will be available for front line law enforcement services n the County's unincorporated areas). Requests for.the use of the unincorporated County money can be made by the Sheriffs Department. The Sheriff's request is scheduled to be considered by the Board at a public hearing on September 24, 1996. The law further requires that the Auditor establish a supple Law E ce ent Services Fund to receive CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR_REC MM A I GIARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON Sept r 24. 1796 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER X See the Attached Addendiun VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT — — — — 1 TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ON MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Contact:George Roemer,335-1055 ATTESTED Rpntmbpr 24, 1996 PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNJIY ADMINISTRATOR cc: CAO-Justice Systems Program Sheriff-Coroner County Auditor-Controller B DEPUTY Supplemental Law Enforcement Oversight Committee D� allocations of these funds from the State and creates a Supplemental Law Enforcement Oversight Committee to at least annually review the use of these funds. These two matters were approved by the Board of Supervisors at its August 6, 1996 meeting and confirmed at the September 10, 1996 meeting. The Committee is defined in statute as consisting of the District Attorney, Sheriff, County Administrator, one City Manager and one municipal Police Chief. The latter two were appointed by the City Selection Committee of the Mayors' Conference at its September 5, 1996 meeting. These funds must be used to supplement existing law enforcement activities. The Sheriff is requesting that the Department's share of these funds be used as follows: 1, $337,691 for County jail operations, including the addition of two sergeant positions and the remodeling of the central control unit of the Martinez Detention Facility. 2. $405,229 for establishment of a Sheriff's helicopter program. These requests require more specificity regarding the short and long term fiscal and operational consequences to the Department and related agencies should such requests be approved. This comment is especially important with respect to the proposed helicopter program. It is recommended that all of these requests be referred to the County Administrator so that a report can be developed, in conjunction with the Office of the Sheriff, that addresses all of these issues. 2 ADDENDUM TO ITEM D.3 September 24, 1996 Agenda This is the time for the scheduled hearing before the Board of Supervisors, as required by AB 3229 (the Local Law Enforcement Supplemental Funding Act), on the Sheriffs request for Government Code 30061(b)(3) front line law enforcement funds. Phil Batchelor, County Administrator, noted that a hearing was required on this issue, and suggested that the County develop a plan utilizing the enforcement funds. Rick Lehman, Concord Police Department, Regional Air Support Project, presented a report proposing the implementation of a regional helicopter program with the available funds. All those desiring to speak having been heard, the Board discussed the matter. Supervisor DeSaulnier moved the staffs recommendations, and suggested that the issues raised today, including the concerns of the Concord Police Department expressed in their September 23, 1996, letter to the Board, be referred to the County Administrator, for a further report to the Board on November 5, 1996. Supervisor Bishop seconded the motion. The Board took the following action: APPROVED Recommendations 1 and 2; and REFERRED the matter to the County Administrator, particularly the proposed helicopter program, and the concerns of the Concord Police Department as expressed in their September 23, 1996, letter to the Board of Supervisors, for a report to the Board on November 5, 1996. C.C. CAO Sheriffs Department D3 OFFICE OF THE SHERIFF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY Contra Costa County RECEIVED AUG 3 0 1996 Administration Division 646-2402 OFFICE OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ? Date: August 30, 1996 To: Jeff Smith, Chair of the Board of Supervisors Via: Phil Bat e County Administrator From: Wa a eriff Subject: AB 2 9 Expenditure Proposals State allocations to the Office of the Sheriff resulting from AB 3229 will be: • County Jail Operation Funds - $337,691 • Field Operations Funds - $405,229* * This amount may vary slightly, depending upon the outcome of pending legislation. It is my intent to use these funds as outlined below. Jail Operation Funds 1) Increase Supervisory Staff by Two Sergeants $180,000 Initial cuts in supervisory allotment at West County Detention Facility, combined with positions lost in 1991/92, have left the Detention facilities critically understaffed for sergeants. Restoring two of the lost positions will have a substantial, positive impact on operations. 2) Remodel Central Control, MDF $157,691 The Central Control component of the Main Detention Facility is pivotal to operations. It virtually controls all access to the facility and monitors a variety of critical operations, to include the fire and personnel alarm systems. The equipment is approximately fifteen years old and has, for some time, needed replacement. Budget limitations have precluded doing so before now. Jeff Smith, Chair of Board of Supervisors Via: Phil Batchelor, County Administrator Re: AB 3229 Expenditure Proposals August 30, 1996 Page 2 Field Operations Funds Establish a Helicopter Program Within the Office of the Sheriff There is a long-standing need for a helicopter program. This program would provide search and rescue and marine patrol support in the delta, and increase officer safety for Patrol personnel during critical incidents and tactical operations. The value of such programs to the community is well documented. In recognition of this fact, the Board indicated some interest in creating an aerial unit last year. Use of AB 3229 funding for this purpose will provide the initial impetus needed to create a viable program. . We continue a dialogue with Concord Police Department regarding a cooperative effort. WER:cb Consider with item#D.3 CONCORD POLICE DEPARTMENT 1950 Parkside Drive Concord,CA 94519 it REGIONAL AIR SUPPORT PROJECT TEAM NEIGHBORS SHARING SOLUTIONS September 23,1996 Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors 651 Pine Street Martinez, CA 94553 Dear Members of the Board, While you consider the utilization of special public funds for the Sheriff s proposed helicopter program, I would like to provide you with some additional information for consideration. As a professional police officer, I have studied the issue of bringing airborne law enforcement to this county at length. The Project Team welcomes the fact that the Sheriff has recognized the need for developing dedicated air support assets for Contra Costa County. The creation of such a resource has been our goal for the past several years. Although we welcome this opportunity, we hope that an adequate study will be conducted by the Sheriff s Office regarding the program's priorities,type of aircraft utilized and the level of coverage. The priorities that the Sheriff is addressing with helicopter air support deal primarily with disaster response, search and rescue and marine services in the delta. These are worthwhile needs but not of the same urgency as supporting patrol and tactical operations. If you just look at the news from this past weekend, you will find examples of shootings, murders and gang related activity throughout the county. I did not note the same loss of life along our waterways. The need for airborne patrol support exists daily with each agency in this county for such things as foot and car chases, perimeter control of"in progress crimes" and searches for suspects. These are dangerous events which require the best tactical advantages possible. Police Air Support becomes as valuable a tool as the officer's sidearm or portable radio. The proposed aircraft is a new Bell 407 helicopter. This is an excellent aircraft but hard to justify when the Concord Police Department owns two excellent Bell OH-58 helicopters, which can provide similar capabilities. The Bell 407 is a newly certified helicopter which is still experiencing some design problems and related modifications. The purchase price of$1.6 million dollars could be spent elsewhere, while still developing air support resources with the existing aircraft. If it's deemed necessary to buy an additional helicopter,perhaps a less expensive alternative should be considered. The Sheriff's Office plans to use this one helicopter to serve not only the needs of Contra Costa County but also those of Alameda County. Experts in the field of airborne law enforcement agree, that this approach will fail to serve the citizens and law enforcement officers within the region. It is recommended that a program designed to serve only Contra Costa County utilize at least three helicopters. If the Sheriff was to purchase one helicopter,the difference could be made up with the two already in the possession of the Concord Police Department with no additional purchases. A police helicopter needs to be available to respond when needed, in order to be a valuable asset. The proposed operation does not allow this to occur. The geographical area is too large and needs for air support too great throughout the proposed service area. One helicopter will not provide any greater service than we currently have with the California Highway Patrol or the Regional Parks Police. The Project Team welcomes the chance to move toward having this capability, but asks that the alternatives be explored. If we try to do too much with too little, we will not accomplish anything except providing another example of government waste. It should be noted that the two OH-58 helicopters will be disposed of if they can not be utilized. To purchase the equivalent aircraft would cost approximately $750,000 each or $1.5 million total. We will not likely have the opportunity to obtain aircraft for use as a countywide resource this cheaply again. The attached documents provide some background about our current assets and clarification of the Sheriff's concerns regarding our aircraft and the related proposal. The members of the Project Team pledge their support in working with those interested in creating a viable program that will serve the needs of Contra Costa County. Thank you for your attention. Sincerely, /C-2�5:�- Rick Lehman Detective/Regional Air Support Project Team 2 OFFICE OF THE SHERIFF Contra_Costa County Administration Division 's 3-- 0 646-2402 Date: June 4, 1996 To: Board of Superviso Via: Phil Batchel r; County dministrator From: W en RupfLS-'h Subject: City of Concord Proposal-Regional Helicopter Program Since 1983, this Office has actively studied the application of helicopters to accomplish our law enforcement functions. My staff has carefully examined all of the critical issues involved and has developed an operational needs assessment that considered various funding mechanisms for such a program. As a result of this study, I am quite familiar with the issues involved in this proposal. Based upon the research conducted by my staff, I do not believe the Regional Helicopter Program proposed by the City of Concord would meet the basic operational needs of my Office, or be in the best fiscal interests of County government. Therefore, I can not support our participation in Concord's program model. My staff expressed numerous concerns over facts and figures represented in the Concord proposal, but I will base my reservations on four general areas of concern: OPERATIONAL MODEL: ► The latest proposal properly points out that there is no dedicated law enforcement helicopter in this County, but fails to recognize that my responsibility is to serve the entire County. The area of benefit described by this proo�ram provides helicopter coverage for the central and some eastern parts of the County only, with no plan or proposal to expand the program to cover the entire County. This is probably why the Sheriffs Office was not included in the original proposal that lead to the acquisition of military surplus helicopters. ► The organization model proposed for this program suggests the creation of a non-profit, public benefit corporation, with each of nine law enforcement S. agencies receiving one vote on a Board of Directors. The designers propose that by using this method, the involved agencies "...can be better assured that they will receive the services that they are paying for"(proposal, page 12). At the same time, they have suggested that the Sheriffs Office pay roughly 30 % of the total Concord Proposal; page 2 t._ cost of the program. My experience in dealing with a number of ventures that are "run by committee", is that they eventually lose their group direction and purpose, and in the end flounder, because individual entities change their priorities. An example of this phenomena has been our experience with some narcotics enforcement programs. PROPOSED AERLAL PLATFORM: ► The proposal suggests that the OH-58 helicopters acquired by the City of Concord would meet the basic operational needs of the participants.I disagree.The proposal fails to acknowledge that these helicopters have very little lift/load capacity, making them virtually useless for rescue operations, or rapid deployment of tactical personnel during critical incidents. These uses would be critical for my :.: department.Fully loaded with fuel,pilot and co-pilot, and installed equipment, the OH-58 has a useful load of only 227 pounds, making it very impractical for these purposes. ► The OH-58 helicopter is a military version of a Bell Jet Ranger. Although r' the Jet Ranger is considered to be one of the safest aircraft ever built, that reputation can not automatically be passed to the OH-58.These aircraft possess no FAA air 0orthiness certificate, and are authorized to fl only under very restricted i Y Y ry circumstances. The airframes on Concord's aircraft are over twenty years old, making them susceptible to metal fatigue and a variety of failures. While these } aircraft are flown by a number of rural jurisdictions, the Risk Managers of several major cities have prohibited their acquisition. k' STAFFRgG: ► From its inception several years ago, the program proposed by the City of Concord has been designed around the use of police officers as helicopter pilots. Although that feature has recently been removed from this proposal, the moving forces behind this venture are committed to using police officer pilots. I disagree �.ich this philosophy for several reasons: F• ' Cost; The cost of salary and benefits for a deputy sheriff or police officer exceed $80,000 per year. It is possible to hire a fully . certified. experienced, turbine helicopter pilot for much less. This proposal estimates the cost for contract pilots at "about $2300 per m on th"(proposal, page 21). { �# Conflicting Demands; The physical demands of flying a helicopter require the complete, undivided attention of the pilot. A Concord Proposal; page 3 :. police officer in this position will constantly be torn between the F` police action on the ground and the safe operation of the aircraft. This conflict is not acceptable to me. Having a professional pilot =and an experienced police officer as an observer is a much more desirable model. - Career Rotation; It is a normal (and healthy) fact of life in police work that personnel rotate between assignments on a three k to five year basis. It is fiscally imprudent to train new pilots, only { to have them rotate and promote away from the unit. f ' l ` COSTS: 4 4 ► Any helicopter program costs must be covered by an increase in the Sheriffs Office budget target or in the reduction of current services. ► This proposal veryaccurately points out that any helicopter program will be a very expensive endeavor. Helicopters are expensive to purchase, operate and maintain. In this case, the OH-58 helicopters acquired by Concord have been presented as a bargain because they were free. There is no "free lunch"! One of the main reasons the military has chosen to "surplus" perfectly functional aircraft is because, as they age, they require a substantial increase in maintenance and _ become less reliable. My staff in conjunction with Bell Helicopter representatives compared the costs involved with an OH-58 and a brand new Bell 206L4 E' LongRanger (a helicopter with much more lift capability and versatility), and found that when the resale value of the aircraft is considered, the projected cost of running a program after five years is almost identical. F ► The figures for personnel in this proposal are misleading. In the "fully loaded" model, the estimate of S149,000 for two full time pilots and 536,000 for a 1000 hour observer are probably accurate, if non-sworn professional pilots are used. Police officer pilots are much more expensive. The proposal fails to acknowledge the attached "Air Operations Manual", that calls for a sergeant and six other personnel positions. I remain committed to the concept of law enforcement helicopters and I will certainly remain open to further discussion of Concord's proposal, but I believe the Count}, must develop an air program that satisfies its basic needs. Concord's proposal, thou=h not a viable option for the Office of the Sheriff, does exemplify the need for a law enforcement helicopter in our county. s WER:sd cc: Chief Robert Bradshaw, Concord Police Department ! Consider with item#D.3 CONCORD POLICE DEPARTMENT REGIONAL AIlt SUPPORT PROJECT TEAM NEIGHBORS SHARING SOLUTIONS Response to Sheriff Warren Rupf s concerns regarding Concord Police Department's Regional Air Support Proposal. This document was prepared in response to concerns expressed by Sheriff Rupf in a memo sent to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, dated June 4, 1996. The project team would like to eliminate any misinformation that Sheriff Rupf may be basing his decision upon. We would like to take this opportunity to clarify these issues. Our comments are based upon many conversations with experts in the field of airborne law enforcement and Bell Helicopter Textron. Our research over the past four to five years regarding police air support and helicopter operations,have included a close working relationship with the Federal Aviation Administration, United States Army and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Senator Diane Feinstein and her staff have also offered much support with new legislation and other help regarding surplus aircraft issues. Sheriff Rupf and his staff have been provided with this information. OPERATIONAL ISSUES 1. The intent of this program is to provide efficient and timely air support capability to police officers which will translate into measurable crime reduction to a designated service area within this region. In order to achieve this, the service area must be of a geographic size that will allow a response time of approximately three minutes or less. The adage used by the founders of the Los Angeles Police Department's ASTRO Division makes it clear, "it is better to be effective in a smaller area than to be ineffective in a larger area due to excessive response time." The proposal was designed to serve the contiguous region along the central county's I-680 corridor and east county's SR-4 corridor. This service area takes in both incorporated and unincorporated space with a geographic size that will allow one helicopter to provide the desired level of service. The service area can be expanded to include the entire county but will reduce the effectiveness of the program to current levels with only one helicopter. To include south and west county in the service area, a third helicopter would be necessary so that two helicopters could be kept flying at the same time and avoid downtime due to maintenance. A third aircraft could be obtained from the surplus program but the Total Operating Costs (TOC)would increase depending upon the type of aircraft utilized and number of flight hours desired. 1 2. When the City of Concord received the helicopters in 1995, Chief Maehler had several meetings with Sheriff Rupf about forming a shared venture for utilizing the helicopters between the Sheriff's Office and the Concord Police Department. This plan was the original proposal from this department. This concept was discontinued due to prevailing fiscal problems with the county at the time. The Sheriff s Office has always been sought as a partner in the Regional Air Support Program. 3. The organizational models proposed for this program include a non-profit,public benefit corporation(501c3 organization) or a Joint Powers Authority (JPA). An intent of the program is to provide an equitable funding strategy that will accurately forecast each agency's level of use and corresponding cost. Providing each agency with a fair sense of ownership and control over the program is critical for long term success and cooperative law enforcement. The rules of operation for the governing board should be established by the participants and should be designed to provide efficient day to day management of the air support program. The county's benefits and level of control would be negotiated as they desired with the other participants. These models have been successfully used by other multiagency organizations such as the Western Identification Network(WIN) and California Shock/Trauma Air Rescue (CALSTAR). OH-58 HELICOPTERS AS THE AERIAL PLATFORM 1. The OH-58 helicopters are the military version of the Bell JetRanger which is the law enforcement standard for police helicopters throughout the United States. The OH-58 has many advantages over a civilian JetRanger such as safer hydraulic and fuel systems for operating in a police environment. When compared to the Bell 206L4, LongRanger (from the memo)the major difference is seating capability. The OH-58 can accommodate 4 or 5 persons and the LongRanger can accommodate 7 persons. The LongRanger comes with a price tag over one million dollars and when equipped for police use is approximately $1.4 million. The OH-58 helicopters had no purchase price under the surplus program. 2. If rapid deployment is needed for a critical incident, one or both OH-58 helicopters can be utilized and can carry more personnel and equipment than one LongRanger. An OH-58 can be deployed with police equipment, full fuel and 4 or 5 persons safely under a wide variety of operational conditions, including rescue operations depending upon the configuration. The useful load far exceeds 227 pounds as referred to in the memo. This could be done at less cost, considering the purchase price of the LongRanger. The LongRanger is a very good aircraft but when compared to the two OH-58 helicopters currently available,the purchase of a LongRanger would be impractical. 3. The Bell OH-58 helicopter is a military hybrid of the JetRanger(206133), sharing many of the same engineering details with some previously mentioned advantages. As a result many experts agree that the safety record enjoyed by the JetRanger will be enjoyed by the OH-58 helicopter. Accident statistics are not available from the United States Army for OH-58 operations, however many former military OH-58 pilots have been 2 consulted. They believe that when OH-58 helicopters are operated in a non-combat environment, they perform as reliably as the civilian model. 4. Military aircraft by definition operate without civilian airworthiness certification. As a result the OH-58 helicopters have no such certificates. Certification can not be sought nor would it offer any advantage to the proposed operation. They were designed and operated to Department of Defense standards and military certification. A military aircraft's lack of a civilian airworthiness certificate has little to do with the aircraft's potential for safety. It is a procedure that has been adopted for regulating civilian aircraft standards. Military standards are very stringent as well. The OH-58 helicopters are not exceptions. Proper maintenance and aircrew training are the most important factors when maximum safety is sought. The OH-58 helicopters will be operated as public use aircraft for airborne law enforcement purposes per Public Law 103-411. This law does not adversely affect the operation of these helicopters for law enforcement nor does it restrict operations over an urban setting. Operational restrictions would exist if a Restricted Category Airworthiness Certificate was obtained. This type of certificate is typically sought by commercial operators using surplus aircraft for fire fighting or crop dusting. OH-58 helicopters are currently being flown by the California Highway Patrol (Sacramento), Los Angeles Police Department, Dallas Police Department and many other urban and rural agencies throughout the country. 5. The airframes on the two OH-58 helicopters are over twenty years old. This is not unusual for many types of aircraft currently in private and commercial use. We possess letters from maintenance specialists praising the excellent condition of both helicopters. High standards of maintenance were set and well documented by the military. The airframes have only 2600 and 3200 hours respectively and both helicopters have essentially new engines and associated upgrades with only 200 hours each. Another 10,000 to 12,000 fight hours can be expected from these aircraft. When not in use, both helicopters were kept in hangars during most of their operational lives. Their current condition attests to the care and maintenance they have received. STAFFING 1. The issue of sworn verses civilian pilots has been an issue with many police flight operations. Most agencies with few exceptions have found that using sworn pilots is safer and more efficient. This is based upon 25 to 30 years of experience in most cases. They state that it is easier to train a police officer to be a pilot than to make a pilot a police officer. All sworn pilots typically possess at least a commercial or flight instructor pilot rating,just as most professional pilots. It should be noted that sworn police pilots are considered to be "professional pilots" in the aviation industry. Divided attention is the nature of law enforcement and flying. Safety is enhanced when two pilots are aboard the aircraft for both relief and backup if the pilot becomes disabled, as experienced by the 3 Oakland Police Department and more recently the Riverside Police Department. Officer safety is also enhanced when the aircrew must land for a variety of police activity. Often times the only assistance the observer has is an armed pilot. Even though sworn pilots tend to be the industry standard, the Governing Board can address the staffing needs and desires of the participating agencies. Despite personal opinions, our staff will abide by whatever the Board develops as policy. COSTS 1. The OH-58 helicopters were offered to law enforcement as a tool specifically to enhance counterdrug operations. The end of the Cold War and resulting "downsizing" of the military created a large inventory of idle aircraft. This is one benefit of the "peace dividend"to local governments. Instead of the usual mothballing or destruction process the government made these helicopters available for no initial acquisition cost. The National Guard unit we received these aircraft from would not have given them up except for the fact that they were mandated to. They had not experienced any increased maintenance problems or loss of reliability associated with these aircraft. 2. Personnel costs are included in the Total Operating Costs (TOC). This amount has been determined to be$489 per hour. This is a fully loaded cost for operating the helicopters for 1000 annual flight hours. The Direct Operating Cost (DOC) has been determined to be $303 per hour and does not include personnel costs. 3. The staff assignments identified in the proposed"Air Operations Manual" does not call for six other personnel positions. These can be handled as collateral duties by those persons assigned to the operation. One person could be responsible for two or three of the needed functions. 4. Our insurance agent has advised us that the estimate of$15,000 per year, per aircraft is probably on the high side for $10 million of liability coverage. Since the helicopters had no acquisition cost, hull insurance will not be needed. A new(certified) helicopter such as the LongRanger would require hull insurance and as a result annual insurance costs would be approximately $60,000. We are pleased that the Sheriff is committed to the concept of airborne law enforcement utilizing helicopters and that he is willing to discuss this issue further. This county desperately needs the advantage of this resource. Our proposal remains a flexible plan that can be tailored to address the needs of each agency. We hope that we can identify how this program can be modified to become an attractive alternative for the Sheriff to consider. Since the assets are available, it would be unfortunate to have this opportunity escape the residents of this county. 4 If needed, industry experts and relevant printed material can be supplied to support these claims. For further information please contact; Detective Rick Lehman, Concord Police Department/Regional Air Support Project Team. (510) 671-3212. 9/23/96 5 Consider with item#D.3 CONCORD POLICE DEPARTMENT 1141161 k REGIONAL AIR SUPPORT PROJECT TEAM NEIGHBORS SHARING SOLUTIONS BENEFITS OF SHARING RESOURCES WITH THE CONCORD POLICE DEPARTMENT As we begin the process of developing an Air Support Resource for Contra Costa County,the Regional Air Support Project Team consisting of trained observers,pilots and maintenance specialists, has identified some of the strengths and attributes that our agency has to offer. This document highlights why the Concord Police Department is valuable for the implementation of an Air Support Program. 1. If a Police Air Support program is desired to serve the entire Contra Costa County region, industry experts agree that one helicopter will be unsatisfactory. One aircraft will be too limited in its ability to provide a timely response when needed. Three helicopters will provide adequate coverage and assures that aircraft will remain available by scheduling them around maintenance phases. This will provide the credibility that such a program requires and a better utilization of taxpayer dollars. 2. The Concord Police Department currently owns two Bell OH-58 helicopters which have been well maintained by both the Wisconsin National Guard and Concord Police Department. These helicopters are well suited to serve as primary or secondary police support aircraft. The two OH-58 helicopters are able to supplement a larger helicopter and allows the program to offer the complete range of police air support services. 3. The Concord Police Department has acquired thousands of dollars worth of new helicopter parts and tooling for maintaining the two OH-58's. CPD's participation in this Department of Defense program has provided the opportunity to reduce the hourly Direct Operating Costs (DOC) for the OH-58's. The DOC was originally projected to be $303 per flight hour but is now expected to be approximately $250 per flight hour and is expected to be reduced further as more parts and supplies are received. Many of the tooling items will enable maintenance to be performed on other Bell Helicopter products reducing maintenance costs. This program is only available to recipients of DOD surplus aircraft. 4. The Concord Police Department has been working with Senator Feinstein's office and the California National Guard for obtaining avionics, searchlights and forward looking infrared equipment for the OH-58 helicopters. If the plan continues as anticipated, the equipment will be purchased for the participating police agencies with counterdrug funding. Equipment items such as the forward looking infrared device and searchlight will be interchangeable between all helicopters and can save the purchase of such items for the non-military aircraft. Only five agencies within California are participating in this program. 5. If a Regional Air Support Program can be implemented, it maybe possible to build a hangar, office and classroom complex at Buchanan Field for little or no cost. A coalition of industrial builders have shown interest in building a 15 to 20 thousand square foot facility to house police air operations and youth related aviation activities such as the Civil Air Patrol, Aviation Explorer Scouts and the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles. This has been made possible due to CPD's PAL activities and associations. 6. The Concord Police Department has officers that have studied Police Air Support operations throughout the United States and particularly within California. They have established a close working relationship with the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Defense,National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Airborne Law Enforcement Association, Concord Chamber of Commerce, Contra Costa County Airports and a variety of local pilot and aviation organizations. They also helped form the Northern California Airborne Law Enforcement Organization which includes members from twenty six federal, state and local police air support operations throughout Northern California. 7. Several Concord Police Officers have received formal training in police air operations and as police aircrew members. This includes training as police observers and helicopter pilots. Some officers already possess the necessary safety equipment such as nomex flight suits and helmets. These same officers have already flown in excess of 80 police related missions using rented helicopters. These missions have included surveillances, crime scene photos,pursuits and other patrol support functions. The results have been extremely successful and have been given credit for improving arrests, convictions and increasing officer safety. This experience has been invaluable for providing experience not only for the aircrews but also Buchanan Field's control tower personnel in working with and coordinating police air operations. 8. The purchase of a new helicopter is an expensive endeavor. By amortizing the purchase price of a new$1.6 million helicopter over ten years and combining it with the Direct Operating Costs,the hourly cost of operation is approximately $487 per hour, for a 1,300 hour annual operation. This depends upon whether it's an outright purchase or lease/purchase option. The public's perception of such a purchase may appear extravagant when coupled with the knowledge that the Concord Police Department possesses two helicopters that were received for only $7,500 in transportation costs. Teaming with CPD the program can be marketed as a full service, countywide police air support operation which will need several helicopters in order to maintain effectiveness. Since these two additional helicopters are owned and in possession, we can enhance such a program without additional aircraft purchases. 9. The public has demonstrated continued support for the program developed by the Concord Police Department. The public's concerns associated with an air support 2 program such as safety, noise and privacy have already been addressed and planned for. This has instilled confidence in CPD's program and its implementation. CPD's regional concept has been endorsed by the Concord Chamber of Commerce, the'Bay Point Municipal Advisory Council and hundreds of citizens from around the county, as demonstrated by petition signatures. CPD can bring this support into an Air Support operation. 10. The Concord Police Department Regional Air Support Project Team has created a close liaison with experts in airborne law enforcement and rotary wing aviation. Many lessons have been learned from those that have created the industry over the course of the past thirty years. This will translate into a very effective and efficient air support program for the residents and law enforcement officers of Contra Costa County. THE BOTTOM LINE The Regional Air Support Project Team has the experience,training and resources to assist in making this program a success. The Project Team has worked hard to educate the citizens and government leaders within Contra Costa County about the value and affordability of a dedicated airborne law enforcement resource. We offer our technical expertise and airborne assets in the hope that a viable program can be implemented. The team's goal is to develop a successful Police Air Support Program that will serve the citizens and law enforcement officers of Contra Costa County. 9/23/96 3 t�'{ r ¢ I } I F � r - �w „cr �� > .,,,<t�