Florida protests increasing police time and attendance costs
In response to the outcome of the Trayvon Martin case, thousands of protesters have gathered at the Florida state capitol building in Tallahassee to voice their outrage, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in overtime costs for police officials.
According to SecurityInfoWatch, the two weeks of protests have cost the state $97,000 in overtime payments, primarily to the Capitol Police, who have been required to monitor the 30 - 50 protesters that have been living, eating and sleeping in close proximity to the office of Gov. Rick Scott since the sit-in began.
The group of protesters that identifies itself as the Dream Defenders told local NBC affiliate WJHG that, while they understood their protest was costing the state thousands of dollars in time and attendance related payments, they are chiefly concerned with the cultural repercussions of the Zimmerman not-guilty verdict on treatment of minorities. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which regularly oversees patrol of government buildings, has helped maintain sufficient staff levels to ensure the safety of protestors.
It is estimated the FDLE has already spent $47,000 in overtime wages for the extra coverage, but with the protests now running for more than two weeks, it is difficult to say whether the department will be able to prevent any more excessive spending.
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