Metro Air Support Purchases New Helicopter
"Eyes in the Air": The St. Louis County Police Department and the St. Louis Port Authority applied jointly for a grant that paid for the acquisition.
In addition to a new mobile equipment storage truck and armored vehicle, St. Louis County Police Department officers have purchased a new helicopter for the Metro Air Support Division. The $2.1 million craft is a MD-500e helicopter that will replace an older 1967 surplus army helicopter currently used by Metro Air Support, maintaining its fleet of aircraft at six. St. Louis County Police Department representatives were able to purchase the helicopter by jointly applying with the St. Louis Port Authority for a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Urban Areas Security Initiative. The grant paid for the entirety of the cost. Bureau of Patrol Support Commander Capt. John Belmar said this means Metro Air Support will work …
