Eagle helicopter: 169 complaints from local body rep about 'nuisance' flights

The Eagle helicopter operates around the clock, helping police on the ground to catch offenders

An Auckland local board member who complained the police Eagle helicopter was a "nuisance" flying over the Remuera area too often at night on its way to attend jobs in South Auckland has complained to police 169 times since December, including 12 times in one day in June.

Other complaints for the same time period total just 26.

On June 28 the Herald published a story about Ōrākei local board member and Remuera resident Troy Churton's gripes with the police helicopter.

Churton called for police to review the criteria for Eagle to fly at night, saying it should only be attending "higher level" incidents so his peace and sleep would be interrupted less.

Troy Churton, an Auckland local body representative, made 169 complaints to police about their helicopter between Decemeber and August. New Zealand Herald photograph

He claimed that 75 per cent of jobs Eagle attended were "South Auckland located" and flying over his neighourhood to get to them was a "nuisance".

In September 2017 the Eagle helicopter began operating 24/7.

Police said the increase in flying hours was to enable the provision of "essential support" to on-the-ground staff tasked with keeping Auckland communities safe.

The extra hours became possible through the government's Safer Communities package, which earmarked $388 million of funding for police during the next four years.

He said since Eagle began operating full-time he had "consistently" raised the "degree of nuisance factor" with police.

Following the initial story the Herald requested information about the Eagle from the police under the Official Information Act.

Last week police revealed that between December 20 last year and August 13, Churton complained to police about Eagle 169 times.

On June 22 this year he complained 12 times — at 3.18am, 5.01am, 5.15am, 5.24am, 5.43am, 6.13pm, 6.20pm, 6.50pm, 7.10pm, 7.29pm, 8.08pm and 10.25pm.

The police Eagle helicopter. New Zealand Herald photograph by Greg Bowker

On other days he complained between one and six times.

For the same time period, police said the number of other individual complaints about the Eagle from members of the public totalled 26.

They also released information on where the helicopter had been deployed — proving Churton's assertion that two thirds of its jobs were South Auckland-based were wrong.

In the 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15 years, the Eagle was deployed most often to the Auckland City area.

In the 2015/16 and 2016/17 the majority of jobs were attended in Counties Manukau — 39 per cent and 42 per cent respectively.

In the year ending June 30 this year, Counties Manukau also came out on top, with 43.3 per cent of deployments.

However, at no point did the Eagle attend 75 per cent of jobs in any one district.

Auckland City Police operations support manager Inspector Jim Wilson said the police helicopter provided a vital 24/7 service.

"And it is an extremely effective police resource that assists with critical events and helping to keep our communities safe," he said.

"Any member of the public is entitled to make a complaint and we acknowledge that we have received some noise complaints from individuals in relation to the Eagle helicopter.

"However, the vast majority of feedback we receive from the public is supportive of this critical service and we continue to receive positive messages from the community who say they feel safe and reassured when they hear the Eagle helicopter as they know it helps keep our communities safe."

Police previously said they would not review the way Eagle operated, despite Churton's complaints.

Churton said today his complaints to police were his "part-time, proactive efforts to monitor things".

"In response to greatly increased night-time disturbance experienced by myself, neighbours and people from across my ward area — which is why most were headed 'nuisance audit' and capturing flight information, not complaints," he said.

"After your earlier story I received more disturbance info, not only from people in my ward but people in other suburbs, including a church rep in South Auckland who had concerns about late-night helicopter noise.

"Having registered all that as part of what I was taking responsibility to 'audit' due to a changed policy, and having received a response, I don't wish to inconvenience police further."

Churton said he was "fully supportive of the police" and the efforts they make to keep Kiwi communities safe.

Under Eagle's eye — where the police helicopter has been deployed:

01/07/12 – 30/06/13
Auckland City 1436 jobs attended, 37.9 per cent of the total
Counties Manukau 1324 jobs, 35.0 per cent
Waitemata 994 jobs, 26.2 per cent

01/07/13 – 30/06/14
Auckland City 1415 jobs, 38.3 per cent
Counties Manukau 1397 jobs, 37.8 per cent
Waitemata 852 jobs, 23.0 per cent

01/07/14 – 30/06/15
Auckland City 1383 jobs, 39.1 per cent
Counties Manukau 1309 jobs, 36.9 per cent
Waitemata 810 jobs, 22.8 per cent

01/07/15 – 30/06/16
Auckland City 1391 jobs, 37.4 per cent
Counties Manukau 1448 jobs, 39.0 per cent
Waitemata 827 jobs, 22.3 per cent

01/07/16 – 30/06/17
Auckland City 1210 jobs, 34.0 per cent
Counties Manukau 1494 jobs, 42.0 per cent
Waitematä 815 jobs, 22.9 per cent

01/07/17 – 30/06/18
Auckland City 1742 jobs, 31.3 per cent
Counties Manukau 2405 jobs, 43.3 per cent
Waitematä 1313 jobs, 23.6 per cent

The following is a list of the times and dates of Troy Churton's complaints to police about the Eagle helicopter:

20/12/17 10.12 pm
26/01/18 1.19am
01/02/18 12.25pm
02/02/18 2.29 am
02/02/18 3.36 am
02/02/18 1.32 pm
06/02/18 7.10 pm
06/02/18 8.27 pm
14/02/18 2.31 pm
16/02/18 11.32 pm
17/02/18 3.28 am
17/02/18 4.09 pm
17/02/18 10.01 pm
17/02/18 10.45 pm
17/02/18 10.57 pm
17/02/18 11.32 pm
18/02/18 12.50 am
18/02/18 1.10 am
18/02/18 8.24 pm
18/02/18 8.37 pm
18/02/18 12.06 pm
18/02/18 10.41 pm
19/02/18 7.35 pm
20/02/18 12.08 am
22/02/18 5.47 am
22/02/18 11.14 pm
23/02/18 3.37 am
24/02/18 10.25 pm
25/02/18 5.06 pm
26/02/18 10.01 pm
28/02/18 4.50 am
04/03/18 5.28 pm
07/03/18 4.39 am
07/03/18 10.04 pm
09/03/18 4.40 am
10/03/18 9.25 pm
11/03/18 12.04 am
11/03/18 12.22 am
14/03/18 11.44 pm
15/03/18 1.51 pm
16/03/18 12.40 am
16/03/18 5.46 pm
16/03/18 9.35 pm
19/03/18 3.46 am
19/03/18 10.17 pm
19/03/18 10.21 pm
22/03/18 11.38 pm
27/03/18 3.52 am
27/03/18 9.32 pm
29/03/18 6.54 am
03/04/18 1.24 am
04/04/18 3.14 am
04/04/18 4.27 am
06/04/18 3.17 am
06/04/18 4.37 am
07/04/18 3.11 am
26/04/18 3.40 am
04/05/18 5.07 am
05/05/18 5.41 pm
05/05/18 10.29 pm
06/05/18 5.56 am
06/05/18 7.33 pm
08/05/18 3.45 am
10/05/18 3.25 am
10/05/18 3.41 am
10/05/18 4.23 am
12/05/18 1.51 am
13/05/18 8.38 pm
14/05/18 3.37 am
14/05/18 3.45 am
17/05/18 2.09 am
19/05/18 5.07 am
19/05/18 5.48 am
20/05/18 12.16 am
20/05/18 11.33 pm
21/05/18 1.41 am
21/05/18 3.19 am
22/05/18 3.34 am
22/05/18 3.43 am
22/05/18 4.13 am
23/05/18 5.14 am
24/05/18 7.12 am
25/05/18 10.33 pm
26/05/18 3.55 am
26/05/18 11.52 pm
27/05/18 12.42 am
27/05/18 9.16 pm
28/05/18 2.09 am
28/05/18 5.00 pm
28/05/18 10.10 pm
29/05/18 5.43 pm
29/05/18 7.47 pm
30/05/18 3.27 am
30/05/18 6.11 am
03/06/18 4.58 am
04/06/18 2.30 am
04/06/18 7.17 am
05/06/18 9.44 pm
06 /06/18 7.31 pm
07/06/18 10.05 am
07/06/18 9.53 pm
08/06/18 6.31 am
08/06/18 10.58 pm
08/06/18 10.57 pm
08/06/18 11.08 pm
08/06/18 11.09 pm
09/06/18 3.18 am
09/06/18 3.21 am
09/06/18 4.15 am
11/06/18 4.35 am
11/06/18 4.38 am
11/06/18 4.54 am
14/06/18 9.46 pm
14/06/18 10.05 pm
15/06/18 4.20 am
15/06/18 4.23 am
15/06/18 5.47 pm
16/06/18 5.19 pm
17/06/18 8.03 pm
18/06/18 12.38 am
18/06/18 12.48 am
20/06/18 3.57 am
20/06/18 4.31 am
20/06/18 4.35 am
21/06/18 8.27 pm
22/06/18 3.18 am
22/06/18 5.01 am
22/06/18 5.15 pm
22/06/18 5.24 am
22/06/18 5.43 am
22/06/18 6.13 pm
22/06/18 6.20 pm
22/06/18 6.50 pm
22/06/18 7.10 pm
22/06/18 7.29 pm
22/06/18 8.08 pm
22/06/18 10.25 pm
23/06/18 2.28 am
23/06/18 2.29 am
23/06/18 2.36 am
23/06/18 10.02 pm
25/06/18 4.30 am
25/06/18 11.09 pm
28/06/18 6.33 pm
28/06/18 7.51 pm
28/06/18 7.52 pm
28/06/18 8.42 pm
28/06/18 10.18 pm
29/06/18 5.25 pm
30/06/18 8.30 am
30/06/18 6.05 pm
01/07/18 4.33 am
01/07/18 4.52 am
01/07/18 6.50 am
02/07/18 10.24 pm
03/07/18 2.45 am
03/07/18 3.19 am
03/07/18 5.05 am
03/07/18 10.41 pm
05/07/18 11.40 pm
06/07/18 2.01 am
06/07/18 3.42 am
08/07/18 12.04 am
08/07/18 2.05 am
08/07/18 4.39 am
08/07/18 5.03 am
09/07/18 9.30 pm
09/07/18 10.08 pm
10/07/18 2.42 am
10/07/18 4.32 am
Total: 169