The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department have made a compelling case that they need a better place to base their aircraft, and the city of Wichita and its Airport Authority need to step up.
Last year, the KHP flew 306 missions in Sedgwick County, and 176 of them were directly supporting the Wichita Police Department. That alone argues that Wichita should be considerably more supportive than it’s been.
Last week, county commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding to advance the plan for an $8.5 million joint-use law enforcement hangar at Col. James Jabara Airport, to replace the current Highway Patrol air support facility at the small Cook Airfield near Derby…