Helicopters The Victim Of ... You Guessed It ... Budget Cuts

The police department in Colorado Springs, CO  officially decommission its helicopter unit on Tuesday. Officials said there was not enough money to keep the aircraft in the sky.

The city budget and the age of the aircraft caught up with the unit at about the same time. The two helicopters, one built in 1968 and one in 1970, had been donated to the city by the U.S. Army in 1996. Television station KXRM in Colorado springs reports that the city's budget for the aviation unit was about $650,000 per year. The expect to bring about $350,000 when they are sold.

Colorado Springs Police Chief Richard Myers called the unit's pilots the "unsung heroes" of the community. "We in the police department are frustrated and sad to witness our declining ability to provide the quality of service one should expect in one of America’s top 50 cities," he said.

Department officials say it will likely be many years before the city's budget allows them to buy another helo and again stand up the unit.

FMI: www.springsgov.com/sectionindex.aspx?sectionid=12