Police: Copters likely grounded

Topeka police expect to ground the department's helicopter program next year after 28 years of operation, a police spokesman said Wednesday.

"It appears, at least at this time, that we won't have a helicopter program in 2000," said Lt. Jerry Young.

Young said grounding the helicopters appeared necessary because financing for the unit wasn't included in the city budget passed Tuesday by the Topeka City Council.

Council members by a 9-0 vote approved a budget that would raise the city's mill levy about one-half of a mill. That will mean a tax increase of $3 on a $50,000 house or $6 on a $100,000 house.

Some council members who opposed designating money for the helicopter unit charged that Topeka Police Chief Dean Forster should be able to find ways to save enough money in other areas of his budget to keep the helicopters flying at least on a limited basis.

Councilwoman Betty Dunn said any decision to ground the helicopter unit must be considered the responsibility of police administrators, not the city council.

But Young said Wednesday that while police planned to discuss ways to try to save the program, the department couldn't afford to preserve the helicopter unit with the money police were allotted.

Forster was out of town Wednesday and didn't return a phone message left at his home.

Mayor Joan Wagnon on Wednesday said she was concerned that the council's move, while well-intentioned, may prove a disservice to Topekans.

"Once this program is gone, it most likely will not return in ensuing years," Wagnon said.

Wagnon earlier this year had asked Forster to submit two proposed police budgets: A Level B budget and a less-expensive Level A plan.

Forster's Level B budget asked for $606,256 to fund the helicopter program, which wouldn't have been funded under the Level A budget.

Wagnon subsequently submitted Level A and Level B city budgets to council members for consideration July 20, recommending they pass the Level B budget.

The Level A budget would have required a property tax increase of one-third of a mill while Level B would have required an increase of 3.7 mills, or $21 on a $50,000 house.

The Level A plan also would have required the police department to eliminate 14 officer positions.

Council members Tuesday approved funding to keep those positions but not to keep the helicopter program.

The police helicopter unit has been in existence since 1971. The unit employs six officers and has five helicopters, four of which are flyable.

Police said eliminating the helicopter unit would save the city at most $270,461, because the other $335,795 was earmarked to cover personnel costs of helicopter officers whose salary and benefits would remain in the budget after they are assigned to other duties.

Police think they could keep the helicopter unit aloft if nonpersonnel costs of about $250,000 were covered, but Young said Wednesday "we don't have $250,000 available."

Young said the department had nowhere else to cut its allotted budget, of which almost 90 percent was personnel costs. Forster has opposed laying off officers to save money.

City spokeswoman Ruth Maus said the budget council members passed allots roughly $19.6 million to the police department, with all but about $2.1 million going for salaries and benefits.

Maus said police were allotted $943,618 more for nonpersonnel costs in 1999 than the council allotted the department for 2000.

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