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NYPD deputy commissioner flew 100 miles to glitzy Philly gala on taxpayer-funded helicopter while FDNY counterparts drove

  The deputy commissioner of the NYPD is coming under fire after it emerged he was flown almost 100 miles in the Department's police hel...

 The deputy commissioner of the NYPD is coming under fire after it emerged he was flown almost 100 miles in the Department's police helicopter simply to attend a glitzy gala in Philadelphia last weekend. 

Robert Ganley, head of the NYPD's employee-relations unit, was standing in for New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea at the Annual Army-Navy Gala on December 10th. 

The chopper took Ganley, who earns $400,000-a-year, from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport to Philadelphia for the night out in the City of Brotherly Love in a flight taking roughly one hour as apposed to a two-and-a-half to three hour drive down the busy Interstate 95. 

Members of the Fire Department of New York who attended the same event made to with driving there.  

The 'copter, which would normally be used for monitoring emergencies, was instead forced 'out of service' as the crew waited for a further four hours at Penn's Landing Heliport in Philadelphia before making the return flight back to the Big Apple - all on the taxpayer's dime. 

According to the New York Post, the trip would have set back taxpayers at least $1,600 - far in excess of the amount it would have cost to drive.  

Deputy commissioner Ganley attended a gala held by the Ben Franklin Global Forum in a dinner honoring 'The Heroes of September 11, 2001.'  

The 100 mile trip would normally take about two-and-a-half hours by road or rail. The helicopter trip took about an hour at total cost of around $1,200

The 100 mile trip would normally take about two-and-a-half hours by road or rail. The helicopter trip took about an hour at total cost of around $1,200

Ganley's use of the aircraft was authorized by Shea and deemed justified according to NYPD spokeswoman, Sgt. Jessica McRorie. 

'The properly authorized use of a department aircraft was to ensure that Deputy Commissioner Ganley would also be able to honor prior commitments on both Friday and Saturday,' Sgt.  McRorie told The New York Post.

On the Saturday, Ganley attended the Police Benevolent Association's Widows' and Children's holiday party, which started at 11:30am.


Friday night's flight was signed off by Shea and followed department protocols, McRorie said.

Critics of the NYPD were unhappy at the apparent wastage of police resources.  

'It's a worthy event. But to send him in an expensive helicopter when it's a short drive … it's not like he was going eight states away,' an unnamed source said to the Post. 'For 9/11 stuff, I usually give lots of slack. But c'mon, the money spent on fuel would've been better spent going into a Sept, 11 survivors fund.'

'This needs to be investigated,' said New York City Councilman Robert Holden who said it was a 'poor decision'.

'People actually commute to work in Manhattan from the Philly or Cherry Hill area. They could have found some other way, train or driving,' he said.

Holden also said that it was 'very suspect' the NYPD would not publicly share Ganley's schedule in an attempt to justify the flight.  

Although no official bill has been released, the cost of aviation fuel for the 200-mile round trip is likely to be around $1,200, at a cost of $600 per hour.

NYPD pilots who were flying the trip draw an annual salary of around $100,000.

Counterparts working for the FDNY say representatives from their service also attended the event in Philadelphia but drove themselves to and from the function. 

The chopper is normally used to monitor protests and other crime-related incidents

The chopper is normally used to monitor protests and other crime-related incidents 

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