Windsor Police Chief Jason Bellaire is confident that having a helicopter in their arsenal will become an important tool for community safety.
The funds for the purchase of the helicopter were announced in the provincial budget released on Thursday.
Chief Bellaire said he can envision several scenarios in which a helicopter would be useful.
"There are areas along our border in our region where people do participate in acts of smuggling that we can't access as quickly as we'd like at times or to the degree with the perspective that air support would provide," said Bellaire.
He also indicated the helicopter could be used for missing persons cases and other investigations.
"A serious missing persons case during inclement weather where the exposure to the climates is really enhancing the risk of life to somebody... being able to cover that space and use the technology that comes with the helicopter to locate those people quickly," said Bellaire. "Multi-jurisdictional incidents where people commit a violent crime and flee one part of Essex County and run to another. We've had that over time, a helicopter would have been very useful, that would dovetail nicely with our canine and some other resources."
The details of the plan are still being finalized, but Bellaire believes additional operational dollars will also be provided.
"The outline of the plan was that nearly the entire cost, if not the entire cost, would be covered by the province, so if we had to take on some minimal operating costs that were inevitable or not seen, I don't know that that would be a show stopper," said Bellaire.
A timeline for delivery has not been finalized.