HeliHub.com recently reported that New Hanover County Sheriff had chosen to terminate their own air law enforcement program, and put their R44 up for auction on GovDeals.com, which closed yesterday at $425K – it was bought in 2008 for $690K.

New Hanover County is putting $300K into the SABLE program – joining the Wilmington and Leland police departments as well as the Pender County Sheriff’s Office who this program has run for up to now.  In a ceremony Monday morning, Sheriff Ed McMahon and Board of Commissioners Chairman Jonathan Barfield Jr. handed over $270K from a Homeland Security Grant and an additional $30K worth of equipment removed from the sheriff’s old helicopter prior to its auction.  The money is expected to be used for night vision equipment among other things.

The R44 concerned was serial 12350, registered N911SG.  Click on the New Hanover County tag link below for the full story