ABLEcopter San Diego Police Helicopter
San Diego Police’s ABLEcopter. Photo credit: Wiki Commons

The San Diego Police Department announced Wednesday that loudspeaker public-address messages periodically broadcast from the sky by the agency’s helicopter crews — often unintelligibly, many contend — are now available online, as well, for clarity’s sake.

The airborne alerts about missing children, fleeing crime suspects and other pressing situations are now posted on the neighborhood social-networking site Nextdoor.com, as well as on Twitter at @SanDiegoPD.

The service, which began this month as a trial program, was prompted by public complaints about helicopter announcements being drowned out by the chopper’s roaring engine, SDPD spokesman Matt Tortorella said.

— City News Service