Windsor officials question cost, purpose of new police helicopter from province

This week's news that the provincial government will spend millions of dollars to provide Windsor police with a new helicopter came as a surprise to some officials, leaving them searching for answers about its purpose and cost. 

On Thursday, the Ontario government revealed its annual budget, which included $57 million for two new helicopters — one for the Windsor Police Service and another for police in Niagara. 

Premier Doug Ford's government said the two Airbus H-135 helicopters will support both cities "with increased patrols, security and enforcement at key entry points at the U.S. border."

Windsor's police chief praised the province's announcement, saying in a statement that he was "grateful" for the government's "ongoing commitment" to community safety. 

"Investments in resources that contribute to the safety of our municipality, province, and country are timely and appropriate as we work collaboratively to protect our quality of life in a border community," chief Jason Bellaire said.

But others said the news was unexpected and left them with a host of questions. "The cost of operating a helicopter is fairly steep, I understand," said Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac, chair of the Windsor Police Services Board. 

"I think for the people of Windsor to have to assume the cost of operating a helicopter is naturally concerning."

The addition of a helicopter to Windsor police's arsenal comes amid a U.S. trade war, which President Donald Trump has justified, in part, by accusing Canada of doing too little to stem the flow of migrants and fentanyl at the northern border — despite data suggesting otherwise.

"I understand the thinking behind the premier wanting to secure the borders within Ontario as we continue the trade tariff talks," Gignac said. "However, beyond the capital purchase, there's an operational cost." 

The province has not yet said how the $57 million will be divided between the two regions, how much it intends to spend on the aircraft themselves — which are listed online for $5 to $6 million new — or if a portion of the funds will cover associated costs.

"You have to have people that are trained to fly the helicopter," Gignac said. "You have to have the funding to fuel it and operate it — I don't know what the requirements would even be for operation. Like, are we talking 12 hours a day or are we — there are just so many things [...] that we don't have information on."

Gignac also said she hasn't received "any information on what it would mean for the municipal police force to undertake operation of a helicopter" to patrol the border — typically a federal responsibility. 

Const. Kent Rice, president of the Windsor Police Association, said he was "quite shocked" by Thursday's news, having only heard a rumour roughly one year ago that the city might get a helicopter.

Rice, who leads the union representing the force's officers, said he supports any new resources to help officers keep the community safe. But he also said he has questions about the high operational and maintenance costs, as well as how a border mandate would work, considering the RCMP in Windsor already has helicopters patrolling the river.

"I've got concerns if it would be used for federal purposes since it's a provincial budget, and it's coming from the provincial government," he said. "But you know, these are all questions that need to be answered."

Asked on Thursday why Ontario is spending millions on helicopters to use along the U.S. border when it's a federal responsibility, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy referred to the province's Operation Deterrence.  

"We want to give all the tools available to our first responders, to our law enforcement, so they have the tools necessary to get all the bad actors," he told CBC News in an interview on budget day.

He also said the helicopters would be managed by the OPP, but didn't elaborate.

The Windsor Police Service did not answer a question about how its helicopter would be different from those already used by the RCMP. A spokesperson for the RCMP did not respond to an interview request on Friday.

The Ontario budget said the latest helicopter investment adds to the government's announcement last year that it would spend $134 million on five police helicopters for Ottawa and the Toronto region.

"Equipped with the latest technology, the helicopters will help protect Ontario's borders and keep highways and roadways safe from violent carjackings, auto theft, street racing and impaired driving," the budget says.

Price said he doesn't know yet exactly how the helicopter in Windsor will be used, but said it could be a "hugely beneficial" tool. 

"This opportunity is something Windsor on its own would never have been able to really afford or purchase," he said. 

Rice said the aircraft could be helpful for patrolling the roadways, locating ice fishers in distress, or searching for missing persons.

"I think about all these incidents where, you know, we couldn't get to them in time or if we had a helicopter, it could have been successful, right?" he said.

He said the important thing is that the helicopter actually gets used, though.

"If you're going to have a resource like that, then you need to use it," he said. "It's not going to do us any good if it stays in a hangar and it's just an ornamental piece of equipment."