Police Helicopter Base To Close In September

The National Police Air Service has confirmed plans to move to a 15-base model, meaning a helicopter base that has served Wrexham will close in September.

The announcement means 19 helicopters and four fixed-wing aircraft will be in operation across the UK once all the plans are in place. There are currently 23 aircraft in the NPAS fleet, with two based in North Wales in Harwarden and Rhuddlan.

The underlying principle of NPAS is a national service, coordinated by a lead force in West Yorkshire for local delivery. The nearest available NPAS aircraft now attends requests from forces rather than under the old model where individual forces would own and operate their own helicopter in isolation.

The Accountable Manager for the National Police Air Service, Chief Superintendent Ian Whitehouse, said: “NPAS needs to find further substantial financial savings with a target of 14% of revenue cuts over the next three years. This is on top of the 23% savings already made.

“Local police forces facing similar savings are looking at how they rationalise their estate and ways of operating and NPAS is no different in this regard. There is no easy way of doing this and difficult decisions have to be made.”

“This move will help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the service and mean that every base supports police forces 24hours a day. It is a move based on an analysis of potential threat, risk and harm to the public we serve.

The NPAS bases in Hawarden and Barton that we have seen serve over Wrexham will remain, however the base in Rhuddlan will close on 15th September this year.

Some recent Wrexham related call outs from Rhuddlan have been documented by their twitter feed:

Ops assistance in Wrexham – one detained #truepicture

— NPAS_Rhuddlan (@NPAS_Rhuddlan) February 9, 2015

18:50 Assist @NWPControlroom alarm activation Broughton – all in order. 18:55 Wrexham – suspicious circumstances / operational support.

— NPAS_Rhuddlan (@NPAS_Rhuddlan) February 6, 2015

09:45 Wrexham – Missing person search. Male located by local officers as we arrived on scene. 09:55 Operational support. Wrexham

— NPAS_Rhuddlan (@NPAS_Rhuddlan) January 27, 2015

21/12 12:25 – Suspect search Cefn Road, Wrexham. Three indivduals seen by aircraft crew monitored and local officers guided in #eyeinthesky

— NPAS_Rhuddlan (@NPAS_Rhuddlan) December 21, 2014

20/12 15:15 – Assisted @NWPControlroom with a missing person search Wrexham. Male located safe and well by local officers.

— NPAS_Rhuddlan (@NPAS_Rhuddlan) December 20, 2014