Looks For Creative Solution To Keep Law Enforcement Aircraft Flying

Onodaga County, NY Sheriff Kevin Walsh says he doesn't particularly like the idea of of a corporate sponsor for the department's Bell 407, but the alternative, he says, is grounding the aircraft in 2012.

Walsh has proposed selling naming rights to the law enforcement aircraft in much the same way as cities sell naming rights to sports arenas, parks, and mass-transit stations. And while it might be unusual for such a deal to be made by a law enforcement agency, it's not unheard of. A grocery story chain pays $12,000 per year for one of the patrol cars in Littleton, MA, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

In Syracuse, NY, Walsh says that the helicopter ... known as Air-1 ... costs about $500,000 per year to operate. The state legislature eliminated $591,000 in taxpayer subsidies for the aircraft in the 2012 budget, leading to the search for a private donor to keep the aircraft flying.

The chief administrator for the Sheriff's office says there are two companies which have expressed an interest, but their identities are not being disclosed at this time. Walsh told the paper he is confident that the deals in the works, which could add $100,000 in advertising, will keep the aircraft flying. The success of the effort in 2012 will be a determining factor in how much the aircraft can fly in 2013.

FMI: www.ongov.net/sheriff