In an 8 to 1 vote, council members are authorizing more than $675,000 for the chopper. More than half of that will come from insurance money the city received after a police helicopter crash near Manhattan last year. Another $220,000 was already set aside for the new infrared radar unit that comes with the helicopter. Technology like that radar allows the chopper to conduct life-saving missions and one lieutenant. says it's worth the big bucks.

"I think this is in the best interest of the city and the citizens in Topeka," says Lt. Dean McWilliams of the Topeka Police Department, "we're really going to be able to use a lot of new things with the technology this helicopter allows us to use and I think you're going to see our services improve and a lot of good things come of this." Lt. McWilliams also says they're not yet sure when the department will get the helicopter up and running.