Chief Commissioner Mike Bush rejects deceptive claims over police helicopter use as new flight particulars emerge

“To be clear, this flight was not for non-operational journey – it was to realize a really actual understanding of how the air wing operates within the air which merely can’t be achieved from floor degree.”

The flight was deemed obligatory by Victoria Police for Bush to know the distinctive expertise of Victoria’s air wing fleet, which differs from the fleet he oversaw in New Zealand. The flight, which included his govt assistant, was already returning to the Victoria Police Centre for helipad coaching.

The Herald Solar revealed that Bush’s spouse, Vicky, additionally joined a separate, 10-minute flight over Melbourne on June 28.

The flight was organized by a senior member of the air wing to coach two senior New Zealand police officers, an assistant commissioner, and an govt director, on the air wing’s capabilities. Though Bush was not on board this flight, his spouse joined after receiving an invite from the identical senior member.

Opposition Chief Brad Battin mentioned Victorians deserve transparency and accountability from Bush.

“At a time when Victoria is in the course of against the law disaster, the general public should have full confidence in Victoria Police management,” he mentioned.

“The questions stay: Was there any impression on group security or police operations? Was there any further value to Victorians? What’s going to the federal government do to guard the integrity of all law enforcement officials?”

Two weeks in the past, Bush admitted his flight to the convention in Hobart on October 20 was an error of judgment that didn’t “go the pub take a look at”.

Bush and a workers officer flew to Hobart in a police helicopter – typically used for police operations equivalent to monitoring stolen automobiles or lacking individual searches – to attend a police convention, the place the helicopter remained grounded in a single day attributable to a mechanical difficulty.

Loading

The police chief mentioned the unplanned in a single day keep had added small lodging prices for the crew, however the flight was in any other case inside Victoria Police’s contracted month-to-month flying hours for October and wouldn’t end in further prices for taxpayers.

He mentioned the flight hadn’t impacted the police’s operational capability or group security, because it was on board a backup helicopter typically used for coaching flights, somewhat than crime-fighting

“We’ve bought to make the proper choices. This wasn’t certainly one of them. I’m very ready to personal it, handle it, and ensure it by no means happens once more,” he mentioned on the time.

Bush has beforehand been on the air wing to journey to Porepunkah within the aftermath of the deadly taking pictures of two law enforcement officials.