Another helicopter crash, this
time in England. I have no doubt that they are a very useful tool,
but I think we have to accept that these things do drop out of the
sky at regular intervals. We have had several disastrous helicopter accidents
around the oil rigs in the North Sea, and we have had two police
helicopters crash in Glasgow, the most recent, the dreadful crash
onto the roof of the Clutha pub. When the inquire for that horrific
accident comes up, I think the point should be made that they do fall
from the sky, and for that reason they should not be used on a
routine basis over dense urban environments. They should be banned
from routine surveillance, and only be brought in, in an emergency.
As for surveillance, our city is well covered with CCTV, police
patrol cars, uniform and plain clothes police. Surveillance may be
considered intrusive, and rightly so, but it doesn't kill people, low
flying helicopter surveillance over cities can kill, and is a danger
to the public.
I believe that the public in
Glasgow have a right to demand no more routine helicopter
surveillance fights over our city. The carnage in the Clutha tragedy
was horrendous, but try to visualise the greater number of casualties
if it had come down in some other area, say a block of flats, or a
primary school. It is unacceptable to run that unnecessary risk,
knowing that they do drop out of the sky from time to time.
Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk
