LAPD helicopter tracker with real-time operating costs

  On average, the city spent an average of $46.6 million on the program, the audit disclosed. It also found that there is limited oversight or monitoring of the division, its policies and practices and whether the program is in line with the city's safety needs. [...]
  The department has 17 helicopters and over 90 employees. [..] The city operates their helicopter fleet on a nearly "continuous basis" [..] The total translates to more than $2,900 per flight hour. [...]
  Additional findings in the audit disclosed [..] 61% of the flight time was in fact dedicated to low-priority incidents like transportation, general patrols and ceremonial flights — like a fly-by at a local golf tournament, roundtrip transportation of high-ranking LAPD officers between stations and passenger shuttle flights for a "Chili Fly-In."

Much of which flows directly back into the local economy through wages spent and maintnance paid.

Obvious excessive spending should not be shrugged off by dividing the expense by the population of the area.

Obvious excessive costs need to be reined in. Tax money needs to be spent on the highest priorities, which this is not.