municipal budgets are usually slashed including priority spending for first responders. Most modern HPD Patrol cars today are Blue and white saying " HOUSTON POLICE" on the side. Newer models use a mixture of black and white paint now with 911 EMERGENCY listed on the rear side of the car or truck. Air support The Houston Police Helicopter Division celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2010. The unit was formed with three leased Schweizer-Hughes 269B helicopters and has flown almost exclusively Schweizer or McDonnell Douglas helicopters. With 16 helicopters, the division is the third largest air support unit in the United States after the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. In 2008 the department acquired new MD500E helicopters. The department also has Schweizer 300 helicopters for training. The helicopter division patrols about a area. HPD has two helicopters in the air for up to 21 hours a day. All pilots and tactical flight officers are sworn Houston police officers. Weapons Most Houston police officers now carry SIG Sauer P229, SIG Sauer P226, SIG Sauer P220, Glock 22, Glock 23 or the Smith & Wesson M&P40 .40 (S&W) caliber semi-automatic handguns. They are also armed with TASER X26 tasers. Tenured officers whose handguns are "grandfathered in" are still allowed to carry their weapons after the mandated .40 (S&W) requirement. This allows some officers to still carry .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .45 Colt revolvers. Chief Charles McClelland while chief, carried a Colt 1911 Mk. IV Government Model as his sidearm. Officers are also allowed to carry an AR-15 rifle, Ruger Mini-14 rifle, Remington 870 shotgun, Benelli M1 Super 90 shotgun and M2 Super 90 shotgun. The SWAT unit uses several kinds of automatic weapons, and was the first local law enforcement agency in the United States to adopt the FN P90 Personal Defense Weapon. Former Chief Art Acevedo carried a Smith & Wesson M&P and it is also the standard sidearm of the Austin Police Department from which he came. As of November 2013, HPD has allowed officers to carry pistols chambered in .45 ACP. The Glock 21, SIG Sauer P227, and Smith & Wesson M&P 45 are approved sidearms for uniformed officers. Plainclothes officers may carry the Glock 30 and Smith & Wesson M&P 45c. Also in 2013, HPD began to issue the TASER X2 in place of the TASER X26. As of September 2015,