Omaha Police Department to acquire new helicopter
The biggest city in the US state of Nebraska has received federal funding for a new police helicopter
The city council of Omaha, Nebraska, has approved a US$3.7 million federal grant from the US Department of Justice to support the purchase of a third police helicopter.
The aircraft will bring Omaha Police Department’s (OPD’s) helicopter fleet to three units, and will feature a searchlight and infrared cameras.
The rotorcraft will increase the capacity of OPD’s aerial operations in response to growing demand – according to a report by local broadcaster KETV, helicopter flight hours by the department have increased by a third (33.8%) since 2018. This includes greater involvement in pursuits, as well as assisting other police departments.
Nebraska-based air ambulance provider LifeNet of the Heartland recently celebrated 10 years of operations from its base in North Platte.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at AirMed&Rescue. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.