Michigan State Police have put in a budget proposal to the State Senate for a new Bell 407, with the intention that it would enable them to double the

The state budget proposal includes the following:- New Helicopter Purchase $5,178,000. Governor and Senate recommended adding $5.2 million GF/GP for the purchase of a new Bell 407 helicopter, purpose is to allow MSP to double its patrol efforts in distressed cities and allow greater coverage of outstate Michigan with the two helicopters in its fleet. Funding includes $246,000 in ongoing costs and $4.9 million in one-time costs.

State police are reported as saying that the new 407 would allow them to double patrols in Detroit, Saginaw, Pontiac and Flint as part of the governor’s Secure Cities Partnership Initiative while giving it more flexibility to respond to needs in other parts of the state.

MSP currently owns and operates a Bell 430 and a 206 L-3 helicopters, along with a small Cessna 182R plane. The helicopters are operated from Lansing’s Capital City Airport with one usually stationed at Detroit, where the state has been supplementing local police efforts with airborne patrols since 2009.

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com