A Los Angeles Police Department helicopter flies over the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood before the start of a red carpet ceremony.
(
Robyn Beck
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AFP via Getty Images
)
Topline:
The Los Angeles Police Department spends an average of $46.6 million each year to fly its helicopters over the city, according to an audit released Monday by the L.A. City Controller’s Office.
Why it matters: That’s more than the annual budget for over a dozen L.A. city departments, including the Ethics Commission, the Department of Aging, and the Department on Disability.
The backstory: “Some transportation and ceremonial flights were an inefficient, inappropriate use of city funds,” Controller Kenneth Mejia said at a news conference Monday. “Including passenger shuttle flights for a ‘Chili Fly-In,’ and a fly-by at a golf tournament.”
What's next: The controller’s office is also developing a new tool that will let the public “visualize the cost” of the LAPD helicopter program.
Go deeper: ... to learn more about the audit.
The Los Angeles Police Department spends an average of $46.6 million each year to fly its helicopters over the city, according to an audit released Monday by the L.A. City Controller’s Office.
That’s more than the annual budget for over a dozen L.A. city departments, including the Ethics Commission, the Department of Aging, and the Department on Disability.
With 17 helicopters in the LAPD Air Support Division’s fleet, each hour in the sky costs nearly $3,000, according to the audit. However, the audit notes that most of the helicopter flight time from fiscal years 2018 through 2022 weren’t connected to high priority crimes.
What were the helicopters being used for then?
The helicopters flew for a total of 80,687 hours in that five-year period, which is an average of more than 16,000 hours each year.
According to the audit, only 39% of the flight time was dedicated to high-priority incidents, such as burglaries and felony incidents involving personal injury or harm.
The rest of the time was dedicated to transportation flights — in which a helicopter is used instead of a car — general patrol time, and ceremonial flights.
“Some transportation and ceremonial flights were an inefficient, inappropriate use of city funds,” Controller Kenneth Mejia said at a news conference Monday. “Including passenger shuttle flights for a ‘Chili Fly-In,’ and a fly-by at a golf tournament.”
Are the helicopters flying over some areas more than others?
The audit found that LAPD helicopters spent a disproportionate amount of time in certain communities when compared to the levels of crime.
The LAPD areas that experienced more helicopter flights relative to the area’s crime rate were:
77th Street, which serves the Athens Park, Chesterfield Square, Gramercy Park, Hyde Park, South Park-51st and Menlo, Vermont Knolls, Vermont Park, View Heights, Morningside Park, West Park Terrace communities.
Hollenbeck, which serves the Aliso Village, Boyle Heights, El Sereno, Estrada Court, Hermon, Hillside Village, Lincoln Heights, Montecito Heights, Monterey Hills, Pico Gardens, Ramona Gardens, Rose Hills Courts, University Hills communities.
Southwest, which serves the Adams-Normandie, Baldwin Hills, Baldwin Village, Baldwin Vista, Crenshaw, Exposition Park, Jefferson Park, Leimert Park, Union Square, University Park, Village Green, West Adams, Western Heights communities.
West Valley, which serves the Encino, Lake Balboa, Mandeville Canyon, Northridge, Reseda, Tarzana, Warner Center communities.
"The kind of auditory intrusions we all suffer through in living in a big city like this, and in LA in particular, they have an impact on our heart health, our stress levels, our ears, and our general demeanor,” Sergio Perez, the chief of accountability and oversight for the controller’s office, told LAist.
What are the environmental impacts of the helicopters?
LAPD helicopters use approximately 761,600 gallons of jet fuel per year, according to the audit.
That’s the equivalents of about 7,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, or an average gas-powered car driving a little more than 19 million miles.
“The emissions from [LAPD] helicopters highlight the need to reduce negative impacts on the community to the greatest extent possible,” the audit states.
Controller’s recommendations
The audit recommends ways the LAPD can increase transparency, reduce inefficiencies, and boost performance monitoring.
Specifically, the controller’s office recommends the LAPD establish a formal set of performance metrics and goals that are publicly accessible. They include assessing air support needs for patrol and incident response, and establishing policies for the planning and authorization of directed patrols, fly-bys, and administrative flights.
The controller’s office is also developing a new tool that will let the public “visualize the cost” of the LAPD helicopter program.
The L.A. City Controller's office gave a sneak peek of their new helicopter tool at a news conference Friday.
(
Makenna Sievertson for LAist
)
Once the tool is launched, you’ll be able to search for flight path details for each helicopter, the pollution released for each flight, and how much money it costs.
For example, the helicopter flights on Aug. 24, 2019, cost the city $26,292 and released more than 11,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution.
The controller’s office is still working out the details, but they hope it’ll be able to reflect each year and flight covered by the audit.
In a statement to LAist, Chief Michel Moore said “The Department received the final report today and will review it closely. I believe the Air Support Division’s activities play a critical role in our public safety mission here in Los Angeles.”
