Force Helicopter
Cleveland was a member of the North East Air Support Unit helicopter sharing agreement with neighbouring Durham Constabulary and Northumbria Police in which all three forces shared two helicopters, one based at Newcastle Airport and the other at Durham Tees Valley Airport.
In 2008 Durham and Northumbria decided that just one helicopter based at Newcastle Airport would be enough. Cleveland disagreed saying that this resource would be based many miles away from Cleveland and would leave it at a disadvantage, and would not agree to the proposal.
As a result Durham and Northumbria decided to leave the consortium of the three forces, leaving Cleveland to fund its own helicopter costing £500,000.
On 1 April 2009, the former North East Air Support Unit agreement officially ended, and the Cleveland Air Operations Unit was formed. Cleveland Police have released a website of what the helicopter has been attending to.
Read more about this topic: Cleveland Police
Famous quotes containing the word force:
“Where the great force lies, there must be the sanction of peace.”
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)