The Calgary Police Service (CPS) in Canada has received the first of two helicopters purchased to replace its current HAWCS (Helicopter Air Watch for Community Safety) helicopters. The new helicopters will improve the organisation's response to crime in Calgary.

The current EC120s have been in service with the CPS for more than 15 years, and were originally scheduled to be replaced in 2013 and 2016. However, after an evaluation of the equipment and to save on costs, the service postponed the replacements and invested in several upgrades to extend the life of the helicopters. In 2018, the service recognised significant upcoming maintenance costs and technological limitations of the current helicopters and began a two-year replacement process.

Following city council approval and a request for proposal, CPS selected the Airbus H125 model as a replacement for HAWCS as the current helicopter model has been discontinued. This selection was based on a number of criteria including the ability to respond to crime in an urban environment, fuel capacity, technology needs and impact to the public. Upgrading to the Airbus H125 brings CPS in line with the current industry standard for law enforcement, as the model is used by police agencies in 30 regions across the world.

“HAWCS is an exceptional resource for our service,” says deputy chief Chad Tawfik of the Bureau of Community Policing. “Whether we are responding to public safety incidents, searching for vulnerable people or locating offenders, we would not have the same success without HAWCS. We have seen countless examples where HAWCS was the difference maker in resolving an incident successfully.”

In 2019, HAWCS responded to 4,121 calls for service, which resulted in the arrest of 761 suspects and 2,366 charges laid. Recently, the service has been instrumental in several incidents, including the arrest of three homicide suspects following a daylight shooting in south Calgary.

“No other unit in CPS can match the response time of HAWCS. We are able to travel from one end of the city to the other in just eight minutes, making us the first unit on scene in 80 per cent of the calls that we attend,” says sergeant Tanya Paziuk of CPS' air support unit. “Aside from outdated technology, a significant limitation of our current helicopters is the fuel capacity. With these new Airbus H125s, we will be able to respond to many more calls for service before needing to land and refuel.”

These new Airbus H125 helicopters are expected to be used to keep Calgarians safe for the next 15 to 20 years, and cost $5.5 million dollars each. Significant savings were made through the repurposing of operational equipment from the old helicopters, including mapping equipment, search lights, night vision goggles and other technology. Once replaced, the current HAWC1 and HAWC2 helicopters will be sold at market value.

Airbus worked with Eagle Copters, a Calgary business, to assemble the helicopters locally. This year, the air support unit is celebrating the 25th anniversary of HAWCS. The first HAWCS helicopter was purchased after a public fundraising campaign in 1995 by the Rick Sonnenberg Memorial Foundation.