Police airplane proposal looks ready for takeoff after initial OK from Modesto leaders
.jpeg "Modesto police are proposing to purchase a GippsAero GA8. They say the CHP uses the aircraft. The same model of plane police want to purchase is pictured.")
The Modesto Police Department’s proposal to buy an airplane encountered no turbulence from city officials Monday.
The City Council’s Safety and Communities Committee voted 3-0 to endorse the plan and forward it to the seven-member council for consideration. In an interview, Police Chief Brandon Gillespie said he expects that most likely will happen in early March.
He and Assistant Police Chief Ivan Valencia presented the proposal at Monday’s meeting. Council members Chris Ricci, Rosa Escutia-Braaton and Jeremiah Williams serve on the committee and enthusiastically supported the proposal.
Restrictions on funding
The department proposes to spend nearly $741,000 for a 2012 GippsAero GA8 equipped with an infrared day-and-night camera with a long-range scope and thermal sensor and other gear. The department would pay for the plane from its traffic safety and state law enforcement supplemental funds.
Valencia said the traffic safety fund cannot be spent on salaries so it could not be used to hire officers. He said the other fund could be used for hiring but that may not be prudent because it is a state grant and the amount varies widely from year to year.
Like some other law enforcement agencies, the Police Department has had a longstanding challenge of hiring and keeping officers. It had about two dozen vacancies as of mid-December among its 210 officer positions.
While not mitigating the need to hire officers, Gillespie said the airplane will act as a force multiplier and make officers on the ground more effective, as well as making them and the public safer.
For instance, the airplane can follow a fleeing suspect, allowing officers in patrol vehicles to pull back and avoid a high-speed pursuit. The expectation is the suspect would then slow down as the plane tracked it from the sky.
The aircraft the Police Department wants was purchased originally by the state of Pennsylvania for law enforcement. If the City Council approves the purchase, Modesto would pay $8,800 for a pilot to fly the plane across the country. That cost includes fuel for the plane and lodging for the pilot.
The GippsAero GA8 is used by the California and Ohio highway patrols, the sheriff’s departments in San Bernardino and Orange counties and the U.S. Civil Air Patrol, according to the MPD’s presentation Monday.
The single-engine plane is a light utility aircraft that can be used for carrying freight, search and rescue, surveillance and observation, and for skydivers. It has a speed of 60 to 150 mph.
But Valencia said its high-tech camera allows it to take photos of fleeing suspects and learn whether they are armed and other critical details. The images from the camera can be sent live to officers on the ground.
Valencia said as part of its research, the Police Department checked with other law enforcement agencies that use this aircraft. The only complaint was it was not fast enough for agencies that need it to fly long distances, but he added it’s fast enough for Modesto. None of the agencies reported safety concerns. Valencia said a properly maintained GippsAero GA8 has a lifespan of 40 to 50 years.
Valencia said the aircraft is a much cheaper option than buying a helicopter. He said helicopters cost several times more than what Modesto would spend for the 2012 GippsAero GA8 and cost about twice as much to maintain and operate.
$394K in annual costs for plane
The nearly $741,000 purchase price breaks down to $550,000 for the aircraft, $135,000 for the camera and other gear, $1,800 for an escrow free and $53,978 in sales tax.
A department report states it would cost about $394,000 annually to maintain and operate the aircraft. That includes $60,000 to pay part-time, commercially rated civilian pilots to fly it. The Police Department expects the aircraft would be in the air 1,000 hours annually.
The airplane would be used to patrol business corridors, such as McHenry Avenue, parks and neighborhoods, traffic enforcement and emergencies, including vehicle pursuits, and special investigations, such as those involving drugs and or gangs.
The airplane’s two-person crew would consist of a pilot and a police officer.
Two members of the public spoke at Monday’s meeting, which was held on Zoom. One, Terhesa Gamboa, voiced strong support, while another, who identified himself as Sid Koka, said this is a mistake.
Koka called the aircraft a flying money pit and said the money could be better spent on other ways to make Modesto safer, such as improving intersections, and on strengthening the relationship between the police and the community.
This story was originally published February 14, 2023 at 10:47 AM.
