Police are set to trial an Eagle air support helicopter in Christchurch over the next five weeks.
There are currently three helicopters in use in Auckland, and police say they have seen the benefits of the aircraft there.
Commissioner of Police Mike Bush said this morning that, "Policing has changed significantly since the inception of the Auckland-based Air Support Unit Eagle in 1988.
"Eagle now attends more than 6000 incidents a year with over half of these (52.4 per cent) involving road policing and road safety, including fleeing driver events," Mr Bush said.
"It is clear that air support offers benefits to our frontline policing by providing aerial surveillance and monitoring from a safe distance and with a wider picture – enabling an efficient response and resolution."
The Christchurch chopper - a Bell 429 - will operate out of a base in Christchurch and will provide 24/7 support for Police where required.
Police say it will also be dispatched to events in other parts of the South Island.
Canterbury district Commander Superintendent John Price said police are aware that Eagle's arrival will be "a change for local staff and the wider community.
"So we have been talking with community groups and local leaders and we encourage people to come to public events with our Eagle team during the trial," Mr Price said.
"Eagle was deployed to Canterbury on four separate occasions around the horrific attack of March 15; to provide surveillance, and for the visit of HRH Prince William.
"During these deployments Eagle also attended a number of requests for service, such as road safety, back up/surveillance for search warrants, and assistance during search and rescue events."
Once the five-week trial is completed, the Eagle will return to Auckland and police will consider the outcome and whether the deployment will be expanded.
Police say the crews of the Eagle are aware of how noisy the helicopter can be, and will "look to minimise the noise where possible during flight".
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