(Courtesy MD Helicopters)

he Mesa Police Department recently purchased a new helicopter from Mesa based MD Helicopters for more than $3 million.

Recently the City of Mesa Police Department purchased a new helicopter for more than $3 million to replace an aging helicopter that was damaged after crash landing in Gilbert last year.

The citizens of Mesa approved the purchase in a bond election after the Police Department argued that maintaining a Sky Patrol unit is a costly but necessary tool for their work.

But is there a less costly alternative as drone technology permeates our lives and the skies?