Occupy Protests Cost U.S. Cities $13 Million
The first two months of the nationwide Occupy protests cost local taxpayers at least $13 million in police overtime and other municipal services, including security.
The heaviest financial burden has fallen upon law enforcement agencies tasked with monitoring marches and evicting protesters from outdoor camps, says a survey by the Associated Press. The largest costs are in in New York City and Oakland, Calif.
The AP gathered figures from government agencies in 18 cities with active protests and focused on costs through Nov. 15.
Here they are, in descending order by cost, from AP's survey:
NEW YORK CITY: More than $7 million as of Nov. 15 in police overtime.
OAKLAND, Calif.: About $2.4 million as of Nov. 14, including more than $1 million for police overtime and $500,000 for other law enforcement agencies.
PORTLAND, Ore.: About $785,000 as of Nov. 13, including an estimated $450,000 on police overtime on Nov. 12-13
ATLANTA: About $651,942 as of Nov. 7, including $620,508 on overtime for police, firefighters and corrections officials, another $20,495 for police equipment, a mobile command center and food for police officers, and about $9,500 for the parks and recreation department.
SEATTLE: $625,999 through Nov. 11, including 580,468 for police overtime, $21,471 for the parks department and $24,060 for the department of financial and administrative services.
BOSTON: $575,000 as of mid-November, all for police overtime. That’s about 2 percent of the $30 million police overtime budget and is less than an initial prediction of $2 million in Occupy costs by the end of October.
PHILADELPHIA: $500,000, mostly in police overtime, but also for setting up barricades and other costs.
MINNEAPOLIS: $226,655, including $132,912 in overtime for Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department; $42,488 for contract workers for Hennepin County Security to replace employees put on special detail, and $51,255 in overtime for the Minneapolis police.
LOS ANGELES: More than $120,000, for services such as recreation and parks, street services, security and city attorney work.
CHICAGO: About $49,000 as of Nov. 2.
AUSTIN, Texas: About $9,800 as of Nov. 15, for cleanup to the plaza in front of City Hall.
PROVIDENCE, R.I.: About $9,000 as of Nov. 15, including extended hours and maintenance for restrooms and police overtime.
DES MOINES, Iowa: About $7,800 as of Nov. 15, mostly for police overtime.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.: $4,500, estimated as of Nov. 1, including for daily cleaning of entrances to Capitol, increased chemicals in plaza fountain because of urine and debris, and electricity usage by protesters.
BURLINGTON, Vt.: Several thousand dollars in overtime.
ST. LOUIS: About $2,200, for overtime and other costs to parks employees.
WASHINGTON, D.C.: About $1,000 as of Nov. 15, for less than 20 hours of police overtime.
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