Police Department
www.santa-ana.org/pd
Item # 11
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
June 16, 2026
TOPIC: Law Enforcement Helicopter Services
AGENDA TITLE
Agreement with the County of Orange for Law Enforcement Helicopter Services
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Authorize the City Manager to execute a three-year agreement with the County of Orange, Sheriff-Coroner Department, to provide helicopter services in an amount not to exceed $731,775 for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029 and delegate authority to the City Manager to execute subsequent amendments in year two (July 1, 2027 - June 30, 2028) and year three (July 1, 2028 - June 30, 2029) for the contract amount of the first year of this agreement, $221,080, plus up to 10% (Agreement No. A- 2026-XXX).
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No
DISCUSSION
In October 1994, the City of Santa Ana began participating in the Airborne Law Enforcement Services (ABLE) program. ABLE was a regional helicopter program that combined resources from the cities of Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, and Santa Ana. In 2011, ABLE was discontinued, and the City transitioned to a similar program administered by the County of Orange for this service.
Airborne Law Enforcement Services allow the Santa Ana Police Department to provide a rapid enhanced response to incidents posing the greatest risk to the public, including robberies, burglaries, assaults, and fleeing felons. Additionally, the helicopter is utilized to assist in locating missing persons, coordinating fire department response, and locating individuals in need of rescue. This contract with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will provide helicopter services for the City of Santa Ana from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029. The County will provide 100 hours of helicopter service per year under this agreement. The Santa Ana Police Department will also provide one full-time sworn pilot/observer to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for this program.
Law Enforcement Helicopter Services
June 16, 2026
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Flight hours deemed countywide service will not count toward the contracted flight hours per year. The following types of calls are deemed countywide service: vehicle pursuits; bank robberies involving tracking systems; stolen vehicles equipped with tracking systems; riots; felonious suspects within a perimeter; assaults involving a weapon; or an officer in need of assistance. The County will provide the City with a monthly flying-hour report detailing assigned call time, patrol time, and countywide service time spent within the City's jurisdiction, as reported by Sheriff aircrews.
The first-year agreement cost is $221,080. Due to the inherent unknown nature of providing airborne law enforcement services, the County will reevaluate the cost of this service annually and provide the City with an annual cost estimate. If this item is approved as presented, the City Council will authorize the City Manager to execute subsequent amendments for years two and three, provided any annual increase does not exceed 10%. Increases exceeding 10% will require City Council approval.
With the pending implementation of Unmanned Aerial Systems in the City of Santa Ana, the annual flight hours of this agreement were reduced by 73% compared to the previous helicopter services contract (100 vs 365 hours), resulting in savings to the City of approximately $1 million over the three-year contract period.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
There is no environmental impact associated with this action.
FISCAL IMPACT
The amount of the three-year agreement shall not exceed $731,775. Funding will be available in the FY 26-27 budget, and funding for subsequent fiscal years will be included in the proposed budgets for City Council consideration as follows:
Fiscal
Year
Accounting Unit
– Account No.
Fund
Description
Accounting Unit, Account
Description Amount
FY 26-27 01114420-62300 General
Fund
Field Operations, Contract
Services-Professional $221,080
FY 27-28 01114420-62300 General
Fund
Field Operations, Contract
Services-Professional $243,188
FY 28-29 01114420-62300 General
Fund
Field Operations, Contract
Services-Professional $267,507
Total $731,775
The annual amounts for Years 2 and 3 represent the maximum increase of 10% that the City Manager is authorized to approve. However, actual annual increases may be less than shown.
Law Enforcement Helicopter Services
June 16, 2026
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EXHIBIT(S)
1. Agreement with County of Orange
Submitted By: Robert Rodriguez, Police Chief
Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, City Manager