Police Helicopter Pilot Under Investigation for ‘Joyride’ Writing ‘CPD’ on Patrol

Social media users have expressed frustration over such an inappropriate use of patrol time and fuel by a helicopter pilot, who, according to a GPS tracking app, used his aircraft to write CPD for Columbus Police Department while in the air.

After receiving concerns about a helicopter pilot’s use of flight time, the Columbus, Ohio, police department launched an investigation over the CPD letters spelled out during a recent hour and a half midnight flight over the city.

Another member of the city council, Elizabeth Brown, took to Twitter to express her frustration that police helicopters had been deemed “essential”. 

​In a subsequent post, the council member added that she believes this was “an expensive misdemeanor for taxpayers + inflicted fear and trauma on those caught up in it. Let’s bring some common sense to our fleet size and save dollars while doing it”.

The pilot took off for a regularly scheduled flight around midnight and, according to police, during the flight, he “navigated throughout the city during the flight and responded on several high-priority runs, including a stabbing and an assault in progress”.

Police further noted that “no calls for service were missed during this time and no additional fuel was utilised, but even the appearance that officers were not operating within the mission of the Aviation Section is not acceptable”.

Sourse: sputniknews.com