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Effectiveness of Winnipeg’s Air1 operations to be reviewed

The Winnipeg Police Service helicopter Air1 was first brought into service in 2011. Brittany Greenslade / Global News

The Winnipeg Police Service is moving ahead with a review of their Flight Operations Unit (FOU).

A Request  for Proposal has been issued seeking a professional consulting service to study the effectiveness of Air1.

The service initially announced its plan to have an assessment in 2016, but it was cancelled after changes to provincial funding.

RELATED: Future of Winnipeg police Air1 chopper up in the air

The police helicopter cost the city $3.5 million dollars to purchase.

Its annual operating costs have gone from $1.2 million in 2011, to $1.9 million at last report.

The most recent numbers for Air1 show it helped in more than 1,500 incidents in 2016.

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In a release Monday, the WPS said it wants to find out if current FOU money and resources are in keeping with the mission, goals and strategies of the 2015-2019 business plan, as well as the intended purpose of the unit.

The RFP is posted on the City of Winnipeg Materials Management website.

Earlier this year, the appearance of the city’s only police helicopter in a Hollywood film came under fire. Air1 was used in a scene for an upcoming film starring Aaron Paul from AMC’s TV series Breaking Bad.

READ MORE: Winnipeg police defends use of its helicopter in rural Hollywood film shoot

Police said the chopper was used for a total of 72 minutes from the hangar and back.

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