POLICE helicopters have been called out to 262 incidents this year in Waltham Forest - but have only directly helped locate a suspected criminal 36 times.
Figures obtained by this newspaper under the Freedom of Information Act reveal they have spent more than 70 hours flying over the borough since the start of January.
So far this year, helicopters have directly located 36 offenders.
But they have also "assisted" identifying the whereabouts of a further 13 and also spotted three missing or vulnerable people.
The figures show a helicopter has been dispatched almost every day between January 1 and October 9.
The majority of call-outs are for locating a suspect on foot or a vehicle, sometimes in a chase, although the figures do not specify what the crime reported is.
In most cases the suspect is not located by helicopter, but either escapes or is caught by officers on the ground.
They are also dispatched occasionally to community events and fires.
The data shows that a helicopter was twice dispatched on April 22 to a blaze, which is the date of the major inferno which ripped through an industrial estate in Billet Road, Walthamstow.
The Guardian has obtained the date of each call-out but is awaiting further information on the time of day for each incident.
It comes following complaints from some residents about being disturbed by late-night flights.
Recent cases reported to this newspaper include a call-out at 10.40pm on September 29 to reports of a burglary in Penrhyn Crescent, Walthamstow.
Two men were arrested on a church roof but were later released.
Most recently, three boys were arrested for burglary in Omnibus Way, next to Lloyd Park in Walthamstow, after being chased by a helicopter for around an hour at 1am on Tuesday October 4.
And back in early July a helicopter was dispatched at 2am to reports of a "suspicious man" who was never located.
What do you think? Are you disturbed by police helicopters? Do you think they should be used late at night for crimes such as burglary? Contact reporter Daniel Binns on 0779 547 6625 or via email at dbinns@london.newsquest.co.uk
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