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Columbus (OH) police helicopter goes on skywriting joyride
https://www.columbusalive.com/story/entertainment/columns/2021/04/17/columbus-police-helicopter-goes-skywriting-joyride/7268766002/
Overnight, one of the Columbus Division of Police helicopters traced an, um, interesting route, circling over a neighborhood on the Southeast Side of the city and spelling out "CPD" in the air.
The "joyride," as it was described on Twitter by Columbus City Council president pro tempore Elizabeth Brown, has drawn wide criticism on social media today, with Brown writing that she was "beyond frustrated" with the flight path in light of a bill she proposed last summer to decrease the size of the city's helicopter fleet by one. (The measure was eventually tabled after CPD argued the helicopters were essential.)
Council member Rob Dorans, who supported Brown's legislation to reduce the CPD helicopter fleet, also chimed in on Twitter, writing, "We were told over and over again how essential every second of airtime was. This joyride was just plain dumb and a waste of taxpayer dollars."
In June 2020, the Columbus Dispatch reported the city's annual operational costs for the CPD helicopter fleet at $452,000 and fuel costs at $249,000.
The "joyride," as it was described on Twitter by Columbus City Council president pro tempore Elizabeth Brown, has drawn wide criticism on social media today, with Brown writing that she was "beyond frustrated" with the flight path in light of a bill she proposed last summer to decrease the size of the city's helicopter fleet by one. (The measure was eventually tabled after CPD argued the helicopters were essential.)
Council member Rob Dorans, who supported Brown's legislation to reduce the CPD helicopter fleet, also chimed in on Twitter, writing, "We were told over and over again how essential every second of airtime was. This joyride was just plain dumb and a waste of taxpayer dollars."
In June 2020, the Columbus Dispatch reported the city's annual operational costs for the CPD helicopter fleet at $452,000 and fuel costs at $249,000.
A midnight flight over predominantly Black areas. Not intimidating at all! It's a JOYRIDE.
