Helicopter

1. When did the helicopter come into force.
2. Could you tell me if there are any Liberal Democrat members on the Cheshire Police Authority. 
3. Am I right in thinking - that the helicopter will only respond to specific/current incidents - and that it is ordered into the air - and given a specific task - it is not sent out to "look for crime" or a "ride around"
4. Am I right in thinking - that there are clear rules regarding it's deployment.
5. After it has been deployed and the operation over - is it assessed to valuate the deployment and that the cost is justified. Who would do this process.

In accordance with section 1(1) (b) of the Act our response is provided below;

1. April 2010
2. This question has been answered by the Cheshire Police Authority.
3. Yes, the aircraft & crew are tasked to a specific incident.
4. All the operational staff have undergone detailed training and they make an informed decision on the viability of the task. The unit has a strict budget to work towards and the decision to deploy to an incident depends on a number of factors being in place to ensure the most efficient response to a policing task.
5. The unit has two supervisors who manage the tasking and ensure that the helicopter is used efficiently and effectively. The supervisors hold titles of unit executive officer and deputy unit executive officer. The weekly tasking of the helicopter is also reported back to the senior management for performance monitoring.