CLEVELAND — One of the Cleveland Police Department's helicopters flew over the Cleveland Guardians home opener last week, but when officers on the ground needed it for a recent chase, the chopper wasn't available.
The Cleveland Police Aviation Unit has two choppers. One is grounded for an overhaul, and the other has flown once in roughly two months.
Authorities cited a fuel invoice issue that has since been resolved but haven't explained further.
On April 7, the day of the Guardians home opener, Cleveland police tweeted a picture from above Progressive Field, writing, "Today's Guardians of the sky."
The Aviation Unit was available for the big game but not to help police track suspects.
Cleveland Police wouldn't make anyone available for an on-camera interview.
News 5 Investigators spoke with Council Safety Chair Mike Polensek about it.
"What it tells us, that's why we need the aviation unit. You need to have an aviation unit, but you also have to have basic patrols," Polensek said.
Cleveland Police said it uses its choppers to help patrol officers, investigators and neighboring communities. Future plans call for enhancing support to reduce crime.
On the night of April 2, officers asked for chopper help during a chase.
"Any chopper resources? Probably not, but I'll go on their channel," a dispatcher said.
Police tailed a Dodge Durango believed to be part of the violent impersonator crime spree.
"Radio, any luck with chopper? No chopper," a dispatcher said.
That chase was terminated.
"Reach out to Ohio State Highway Patrol to see if their chopper's up?" an officer said.
Impersonator cases started popping up on March 7. The Aviation Unit wasn't available then either.
Before the Guardians game, police say the last time one flew was February 9, nearly eight weeks before.
Polensek met with Cleveland Public Safety Director Karrie Howard Tuesday about aviation, patrol and staffing ahead of the summer.
But Howard wasn't available for News 5 Investigators.
We asked if the city still needed to pay its bill or what was happening.
"I can't tell you on that," Polensek said.
"All I was told today by the safety director is that one unit is down, which needs repair, and the other unit is now back in operation," Polensek said.
We found this wasn't the first aviation unit issue, and the choppers were often down last year too.
The department's end-of-year review showed its fuel purchase order was exhausted last November, flying just four times that month and twice in December, including once for a Browns game.
In December alone, there were 676 reported stolen cars and no aerial support.
Records show one chopper flew 64 days last year and the other just 21 days.
Polensek says the unit is vital for pursuits and to patrol neighborhoods and special events downtown.
"Do we want to see the aviation back up full strength? Of course, we do, but there's the bigger question when you look across the country, do you see aviation units operated by the county or the county sheriff's department? I think this is something we need to engage with now, the new county executive," Polensek said.
Polensek says Director Howard and Chief Dornat "Wayne" Drummond will give an update Wednesday during the safety committee meeting on the choppers, patrol and other tools police use.
He says once they overhaul one chopper, the other needs to be refurbished and recalls the cost for both was around two million dollars.
OSHP tells News 5 Investigators its aviation does not fly over Cleveland very often, and they do not have a chopper on standby for Cleveland Police since they have their own. The agency will help if it's requested and it has the resources.
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