Occupy Austin fuels concerns about police overtime
The Austin Police Department had hoped to reduce its overtime budget from $9.3 million to $8.3 million this fiscal year, according to the city's budget.
However, the cost of compensating employee attendance associated with policing the first month-and-a-half of the Occupy Austin protest has officials worried that the $1 million claimed reduction may soon be wiped out, The Digital Texan reports.
Between October 6 and November 19, the APD spent $412,000 on overtime and straight time and attendance payouts to officers working the Occupy detail - and, the source notes, "there are a lot of officers who see the protest as a gold mine in overtime."
According to KVUE-TV, assistant chief David Carter recently told public safety commissioners that the cost may now have risen to $500,000, which raised questions about whether the BPD should scale back its presence at City Hall, the hub of the protest.
Currently, four to eight officers are on duty at the site 24 hours a day, according to the media outlet. Nearly 100 protesters have been arrested, mostly for criminal trespassing.
However, the cost of compensating employee attendance associated with policing the first month-and-a-half of the Occupy Austin protest has officials worried that the $1 million claimed reduction may soon be wiped out, The Digital Texan reports.
Between October 6 and November 19, the APD spent $412,000 on overtime and straight time and attendance payouts to officers working the Occupy detail - and, the source notes, "there are a lot of officers who see the protest as a gold mine in overtime."
According to KVUE-TV, assistant chief David Carter recently told public safety commissioners that the cost may now have risen to $500,000, which raised questions about whether the BPD should scale back its presence at City Hall, the hub of the protest.
Currently, four to eight officers are on duty at the site 24 hours a day, according to the media outlet. Nearly 100 protesters have been arrested, mostly for criminal trespassing.
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