More than a year after Texas awarded the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office $3 million to purchase a helicopter for regional anti-gang operations and the county approved $500,000 to launch BCSO’s aviation program, no helicopter has been purchased. On Tuesday, Bexar County commissioners approved restarting the procurement process, giving the sheriff’s office another opportunity to acquire the aircraft before the state’s extended grant funding expires in August 2027. The sheriff’s office attributed the delay to an administrative issue that caused the contract to expire before the deal could be completed. The proposal anticipates using state grant funding through the grant’s extended August 2027 expiration before Bexar County begins assuming annual operating costs. During those budget discussions, he also announced the sheriff’s office had hired a retired San Antonio Police Department helicopter supervisor to lead the aviation unit.