Helicopters' noise raises ire ; Moore Park residents complaining about overhead police chase Ontario Edition

Sergeant Mark Brown of York Region's emergency response unit says complaints are expected, particularly when the helicopters are introduced. Since York Region's Enstrom 480 chopper took to the skies June 1, the force has had about eight noise complaints, he said. Noise created by the chopp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inToronto star
Main Author Andrea Houston and Jim Rankin
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Toronto, Ont Torstar Syndication Services, a Division of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited 09.08.2000
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Summary:Sergeant Mark Brown of York Region's emergency response unit says complaints are expected, particularly when the helicopters are introduced. Since York Region's Enstrom 480 chopper took to the skies June 1, the force has had about eight noise complaints, he said. Noise created by the choppers depends on the model and, obviously, height above ground. Bell Ranger Textron Inc., the maker of Toronto's Bell 206B chopper, notes on its Web site that law enforcement agencies should be ready for complaints. The noise, says the Web site, is not necessarily loud in terms of decibels, but the sound is unusual to the ear. The Calgary police force, which also has a chopper, receives about 80 to 90 noise complaints a year. In London, where a chopper pilot project recently came to an end, police were deluged with noise complaints. It's uncertain whether choppers will have a future in London, where the crime rate actually increased during the pilot project.
ISSN:0319-0781