Helicopter
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 3
Communication Breakdown; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Procedure
I was working Local Control.  Runway 26L and 26R were in use.  I had Aircraft X in the airspace maneuvering 2 miles northwest ONT departure end and 017.  I received the departure strip for an Aircraft Y on a Pomona7 departure SID; a westbound departure.  I first called traffic to Aircraft X about the traffic to depart ONT westbound and gave a cautionary wake turbulence call.  Aircraft X responded he was looking for traffic.  I flashed the departure and received a release from the Pomona sector at SoCal.  I then reached out to my departure and gave the traffic on Aircraft X; but the departure wasn't ready yet.  Meanwhile Aircraft X asked to climb to 045 and switch communications to SoCal for surveillance work.  I performed the necessary scratch pad tasks and handed off Aircraft X to SoCal Pomona sector.  Once SoCal accepted the handoff I switched communications on Aircraft X to SoCal.My departure called ready; so I looked at where Aircraft X was and the aircraft was still northwest 2 miles climbing and now talking to the Pomona sector; the same sector that released my departure.  I then cleared the departure for takeoff because Aircraft X at his present location was not a factor for the departure.  In scanning as my departure is on takeoff roll I recognized Aircraft X has flown south into the departure corridor so as soon as my departure was airborne climbing out of approximately 014 feet I radar contacted Aircraft Y and called traffic on the Aircraft X.  The traffic call was 'traffic 12 o'clock two miles maneuvering; 031 climbing.'  Aircraft Y said he was looking for the traffic.In this instance; SoCal normally will not allow aircraft into the departure part of an aircraft they released or they would assign an altitude for the departing aircraft which they did not.  Maybe the release should have been canceled if they were going to allow Aircraft X to utilize the departure corridor or kept Aircraft X climbing north of the departure corridor until he was high enough to not be a factor for departing traffic.
ONT Local Controller departs IFR traffic and a previous helicopter the Tower handed off to the TRACON is traffic for the departure.