How quickly do Northamptonshire Police helicopters respond to incidents?

Questions have been raised after a watchdog highlighted concerns over the speed of response by police helicopters.
The Cambridgeshire Police helicopterThe Cambridgeshire Police helicopter
The Cambridgeshire Police helicopter

It took on average 30 minutes and 58 seconds for helicopters to arrive on scene nationally but there were significant differences between police forces, a report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services found.

Northamptonshire Police have the 16th best response time of the 43 forces listed, taking on average 26 minutes, 31 seconds to get out to an incident.

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Chief Constable Alec Wood, Chair of the NPCC Operations Co-ordination Committee said; “We requested this study by HMICFRS and will use its findings to shape a new strategy for police air support that will resolve the issues with our current provision and take advantage of new technology. We have already started to progress some of the recommendations and have recently surveyed all forces to help inform our plans.

“The National Police Air Service has been the first specialist capability that has been nationally managed, a complex task involving 43 forces with varying requirements.”

Here is a breakdown of the average response time for forces across England and Wales, from slowest to fastest:

:: Cumbria - 66 minutes, 33 seconds

:: Dyfed-Powys - 57 minutes, 42 seconds

:: Lincolnshire - 51 minutes, nine seconds

:: West Mercia - 41 minutes, 39 seconds

:: Derbyshire - 41 minutes, 14 seconds

:: Norfolk - 40 minutes, 20 seconds

:: Nottinghamshire - 40 minutes, nine seconds

:: Staffordshire - 38 minutes, 36 seconds

:: Gloucestershire - 37 minutes, 16 seconds

:: North Wales - 37 minutes

:: Cambridgeshire - 36 minutes, 42 seconds

:: Kent - 35 minutes, nine seconds

:: Devon and Cornwall - 34 minutes, 16 seconds

:: Wiltshire - 34 minutes, one second

:: Bedfordshire - 34 minutes

:: Warwickshire - 32 minutes, 21 seconds

:: Hertfordshire - 32 minutes, 14 seconds

:: Gwent - 31 minutes, 24 seconds

:: North Yorkshire - 30 minutes, 59 seconds

:: Hampshire - 30 minutes, 43 seconds

:: Suffolk - 30 minutes, 29 seconds

:: Sussex - 30 minutes, 10 seconds

:: Cheshire - 29 minutes, 29 seconds

:: South Yorkshire - 29 minutes, four seconds

:: South Wales - 28 minutes, 36 seconds

:: Lancashire - 28 minutes, six seconds

:: Northamptonshire - 26 minutes, 31 seconds

:: Avon and Somerset - 26 minutes, one second

:: Merseyside - 25 minutes, 26 seconds

:: Leicestershire - 25 minutes, 18 seconds

:: Essex - 24 minutes, 58 seconds

:: Thames Valley - 24 minutes, 16 seconds

:: British Transport Police - 23 minutes, 48 seconds

:: Surrey - 23 minutes, 44 seconds

:: Dorset - 22 minutes, 55 seconds

:: Durham - 19 minutes, 13 seconds

:: West Midlands - 18 minutes, 38 seconds

:: Cleveland - 18 minutes, 12 seconds

:: West Yorkshire - 18 minutes, three seconds

:: Northumbria - 17 minutes, 36 seconds

:: Greater Manchester - 16 minutes, 32 seconds

:: Metropolitan Police - 10 minutes, 37 seconds