New York Police Choppers Are Spending More Time in the Air
Also today: Tokyo’s election puts low fertility rates in focus, and outdoor concerts need a new safety playbook amid rising heat.
A now-retired New York Police Department helicopter hovers over the East River in New York City on Oct. 4, 2011.
Photographer: Mario Tama/Getty Images
A few months ago, I was forwarded a noise complaint from a lower Manhattan resident dealing with a constant stream of helicopters buzzing by his apartment. Out of frustration, he took to checking flight tracking apps to see who was responsible for the rattling noise. Some flights, it turned out, were from the New York City Police Department, whose choppers were taking trips outside of the city and to notable landmarks at odd hours.
Those observations prompted us to delve into a flight tracking app ourselves, where we found that NYPD helicopter use is indeed way up. An analysis of five years of flight data found that NYPD helicopters are spending about 60% more time in the air, and leaving the city 60% more frequently.