Highway signs throughout New York warn that when it comes to catching speeders, the long arm of the law extends even into the sky. "State Police aircraft used in speed enforcement," they say.
Actually, lead-footed drivers hitting the interstates for the Independence Day holiday can keep their eyes on the road. The New York State Police, who once routinely used planes to clock motorists, haven't written a single ticket in that manner since at least 2005.
"It hasn't been entirely eliminated," Sgt. Kern Swoboda, a state police spokesman, said of the signs. "We still have the airplanes."
But in these budget-conscious times, he said, launching aircraft to catch speeders just isn't fiscally prudent.
New York is one of several states to scale back the use of aircraft for traffic enforcement in recent years because of budget cuts or concerns about cost-effectiveness.
Typically, aerial enforcement programs involve a plane, a pilot, a spotter to time vehicles as they travel between lines painted on the road and several cruisers to pull people over and issue tickets.
"That ain't cheap," Swoboda said. He added that updated laser technology now allows a trooper on the ground to get speed readings over long distances and in heavy traffic â€" two situations where aircraft used to be superior.
"So what better way to do it than have three guys at a U-turn?" Swoboda said. "We found that it was far more efficient, and a lot less expensive."
A full accounting of which law enforcement agencies have curtailed the use of aircraft for speed enforcement was unavailable, but the list includes some states that had previously made robust use of the tactic.
The California Highway Patrol still has 15 planes used to catch speeders, but spokeswoman Fran Clader said that as the department's annual air operations budget has dropped from about $12 million to $8 million, aircraft became more focused on supporting searches and pursuits.
"We still enforce speed with the fixed-wing aircraft but in a much-reduced capacity," she said.
The Virginia State Police launched an aggressive aerial speed enforcement program in 2000 but largely abandoned regular patrols after 2007. Last year, it flew only one such mission, which resulted in tickets being given to 20 drivers, the department said. It flew four missions the year before, none in 2009 and only one in 2008.
"Due to economic conditions and mandated budget cuts ... we've had to look at cost savings," said department spokeswoman Corinne Geller.
She said it cost about $150 per hour to operate the planes â€" a figure that includes fuel and maintenance but not manpower. In the past, she said, the speed enforcement flights were paid for with federal grants. But with less federal money coming in lately, resources have been focused on keeping troopers on the road.
The Washington State Patrol's aviation section, which had been participating in roughly 13,500 traffic stops per year, had to scale back after suffering a $1.4 million budget cut over a two-year period that began in 2009, according to unit commander Lt. Jim Nobach. It lost three pilots, who had to return to road duties. Flight hours were slashed by 39 percent. As a result, aircraft are now stopping 5,000 fewer drivers per year.
Planes are still getting a big workout spotting speeders in Ohio and Florida.
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