BUFFALO, N.Y. — Erie County Sheriff John Garcia wants to double his department’s helicopter fleet with a new chopper that would cost more than $10 million.
“It’s a matter of safety,” Undersheriff William Cooley told Investigative Post in justifying a new Airbus H135 helicopter that would take two years to build and outfit. “We see an absolute need for a new machine.”
The sheriff’s office boasts that its current helicopter helps nab suspected car thieves and controls traffic at Buffalo Bills games. The department says that its 22-year-old chopper, often grounded for maintenance and repairs, has saved lives. The department once considered replacing the existing helicopter but now wants to keep it after buying a new one.