Boston protests estimated at close to $1 million in overtime costs

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- The raw numbers are out on just how much anti-police protests in Boston are costing the city.
 
The numbers show that in November, overtime costs for the protests came in at $412,000. In December, costs were almost $329,000.
 
That's a total of $741,000 dollars, while the city of Boston puts the number closer to $1.5 million, when including other city services
 
Compare it all with Boston police overtime associated with the Occupy Boston protests in 2012, after the encampment was broken up in the fall of 2011: That's at just over $71,000.

"Clearly throughout the course of the year, things are going to happen where overtime will go up and down and what comes first is safety of the public and that's what we do everyday," Boston Mayor Marty Walsh told Fox 25 political reporter Sharman Sacchetti. 

When asked if the city can afford this, Mayor Walsh responded, "certainly if it keeps going it's going to be a problem and I think it's like anything depending on how long the protests go for."
 
Those numbers don't count protests that took place during First Night, Boston's New Year's Eve celebration.
 
So what does this mean for other programs or services in the city? Is it taking away from them? Sacchetti asked the mayor. 

"It could be taking away from other things around community policing," the mayor said. "Certainly I would love to see if I could add a few more additional officers to the street so we could get down to walking beats and have more police officers on the streets."

Mayor Walsh also iterated that he wants a dialogue with protesters.

Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson said he believes it's important to continue the protests, even if it is costing money.

"Democracy is seated here. Democracy started here in the city of Boston. And so we do actually have to fund and pay for that," he said.
 
Massachusetts State Police tell us so far the overtime costs are totaling $600,533, but that number is expected to go up Tuesday when more information comes in on First Night protests, and protests Sunday at the state house.

Cox Media Group