The results of a huge (and expensive) audit of the Austin Police Department were released the other day. You know that police helicopter that annoys the hell out of me?

A recent audit said keeping the helicopter in the air, isn’t worth the money Austin taxpayers shell out.

On average, it costs about $325 an hour for gas and maintenance. The City of Austin said it costs just over $1,300 an hour including personnel. And the total amount spent this year alone was just under $3 million.

So every hour the damn thing is circling a house in my neighborhood, seemingly doing nothing of any use whatsoever, there’s another $1300 down the drain to the tune of $3 million for this year alone?! I have to assume that number or for last year and a full twelve months, but all the same, I did the math, and that means that stupid helicopter would have to be in the air 40 hours a week at $1300 an hour. What in the freaking hell have they been doing buzzing around that much? Well, in my neighborhood they pick out a random house, circle it with a spotlight for an hour, nothing at all comes of it, and they go merrily on their way. I can only guess, but that’s probably just about all they ever do with it … aside from flying over rush hour traffic looking for wrecks, so yes, it does seem like a waste of money.

And at last there is something I don’t agree with the new police chief about, because he seems to think we need more of these money pits.

For us to have one helicopter for a city of this size is unheard of,” Acevedo said.

In the near future, Acevedo sees a department with numerous helicopters watching over Austin 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But, for now, APD has no intention of grounding their one eye in the sky.

Yuck. I am opposed.