ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOX) – Area residents will be seeing a new black and white helicopter overhead soon. It’s the latest addition to the Metro Air Support fleet.

The MD 500-E will allow the fleet to remain at six choppers after it returns one of its Vietnam era models to the military.

County Police Sgt. Dan Cunningham says the helicopters are a ‘force multiplier’ for departments on both sides of the state line.

“If the agency doesn’t have enough officers at the time, or if it happens right away we can get there first. We can keep and eye on the place until the ground officers can get on the scene,” Cunningham said.

“If we are in pursuit of a vehicle it allows us to slow down or limit the number of police cars that are chasing because we can keep an eye on it from above.”

Cunningham says the county teamed up with the St. Louis Port Authority to get a $2.1 million homeland security grant to buy the chopper.