King County Sheriff's Office requests state funding to replace 1973 patrol helicopter
King County Sheriff's Office looking to replace decades-old helicopter
The current helicopter used by the King County Sheriff's Office dates back to the Vietnam War.
RENTON, Wash. - The King County Sheriff's Office Air Support Unit is looking to get funding to replace a helicopter that dates back to the Vietnam War, and agencies from the local level to the federal level are supporting the county’s call for a new aircraft.
The Bell 206 is one of two patrol aircrafts at the sheriff’s office. The Bell 206 started service in 1973, a much older, slower patrol aircraft than its partner, the Bell 407.
"It can’t carry as much weight, it can’t fly as fast and it’s a lot more sensitive to the wind and adverse conditions than our 407," said pilot Anthony Mullinax. "There’s times when we’re trying to take off out here on a hot day we’re having to scrape it down the runway just to kind of get airborne because it’s not a very powerful helicopter."
Bell 407 is the first choice when the Air Support Unit is responding to a call. The Bell 206 is the backup. The patrol aircrafts are used to help law enforcement all across Washington save lives and fight crime.
"The calls we go to are robberies, carjacking, missing people, high-intensity calls and we’ve covered the state," said Jeffrey Flohr, chief of the sheriff’s office special operations division. "It’s very difficult for law enforcement right now with people not stopping, getting away and us not being able to do our job. If these helicopters can get on scene, they can take over the pursuit. They can follow the car, stay up with it because they’re fast enough and keep the officers at a safe distance until we know where that car stops and then we can direct people in."
Flohr said Bell 206 is nearing its last hours of service.
"We have about 400 hours left on this aircraft before we need a major service. And we’re at the point where we will just most likely retire this aircraft," explained Flohr.
With Bell 206’s retirement, that will leave the sheriff’s office with only one patrol aircraft responding to calls when agencies throughout the region need backup.
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"Any other vehicle that I drive as a police officer, there’s a schedule. When it hits this mileage for a car, we’re going to retire it and get a new one. We’ve yet to do that with aircraft," said Mullinax.
The pilot explained Bell 407 was out of service for several months last year due to maintenance. The team relied solely on Bell 206 with certain limitations to service calls due to the aircraft’s age.
Flohr said the sheriff’s office is asking state lawmakers to approve the county’s $2.7 million proposal. The money would replace Bell 206 with a newer, used model similar to Bell 407. The purchase would shore up the county’s fleet.
"If one of our helicopters goes down, because they do go down for maintenance a lot, we can still continue to fly and serve all of these folks in the region," said Flohr.
Backing up their request, more than 70 law enforcement agencies from local, regional, state and federal departments sent a letter to lawmakers about the importance of a new aircraft. Several state senators also signed a letter showing their support. However, Flohr said there is still a procedural debate at the State Capitol Building on where the money should come from.
"Should it be on the capital budget in the Senate? Or should it come out of the House in the operating budget? That’s where we’re stuck. And we are still pushing and the executive office is still pushing for the full $2.7 million to come out of the House," explained Flohr.
Without the full $2.7 million, Flohr said the county can’t afford a new helicopter. This would potentially leave the sheriff’s office and partnering agencies with one less vital resource.
"When they all call for helping with fishing rights, poaching enforcement, robberies we may have to say we’re not available because we don’t have the equipment," said Flohr.