The National Police Air Service is to close its base in South Yorkshire next February to cut costs.<\/p>\n
The national service is being slashed to 15 bases in England and Wales. Neil Bowles, Chairman of South Yorkshire Police Federation, said: \u201cThe news from NPAS is no surprise to us in South Yorkshire – they had always planned to get rid of our base and helicopter.”<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cThe service we have received from NPAS so far is poor, cops do not even bother calling for it these days as they know it\u2019s unlikely to even arrive in time if it does attend.<\/p>\n
\u201cSY99 was an expensive tool, nobody could say it was not, but it was a vital tool to contain an area for offenders, safely manage a vehicle pursuit from the air and search for vulnerable missing persons.<\/p>\n
\u201cSheffield, the fourth largest city in England, doesn\u2019t have its own airport, now it has not even got a police helicopter. It\u2019s another consequence of the cuts.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Accountable Manager for the National Police Air Service, Chief Superintendent Ian Whitehouse, said: “NPAS needs to find further substantial financial savings with a target of 14% of revenue cuts over the next three years. This is on top of the 23% savings already made.<\/p>\n
“Local police forces facing similar savings are looking at how they rationalise their estate and ways of operating and NPAS is no different in this regard. There is no easy way of doing this and difficult decisions have to be made.”<\/p>\n