The Winnipeg Police Service is looking for consultants to review the unit responsible for the operation of its Air-1 helicopter, to see if it’s worth the cost.
A request for proposals for consultancy services to review the police Flight Operations Unit is live on the City of Winnipeg website.
A media release from police said the review is “an object, fair and evidence-based assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness” of the unit.
Police began discussing a potential review in 2017, after the provincial funding model changed, resulting in the cancellation of a review the province had announced the previous year.
At the time, the police’s annual report from 2016 indicated the helicopter was being used less. It said Air-1 was in the air 27 per cent less time in 2016 than in 2015 and received 35 per cent fewer calls for service.
It also said that weather, maintenance and staffing issues led to a loss of 170 hours of use.
READ MORE: Police helicopter costs increase, logs less air time in 2016 than year before: report
According to documents in the request for proposals, provincial funding for the flight operations unit increased from approximately $1.1 million in 2011 to $1.8 million in 2015, before dipping to $1.7 the following year, where it has been capped.
The documents said the review will be made up of a cost-benefit analysis of the unit to determine if funding for it aligns with goals set out in the police service’s 2015-2019 Strategic/Business Plan.
The RFP is open to submissions until April 6, 2018.
With files from Beth Macdonell/CTV News
