WASHINGTON – The Occupy D.C. movement has cost taxpayers nearly $1 million since establishing its protests two months ago.
According to records provided by the D.C. mayor’s office, the protests in Freedom Plaza and McPherson Square have cost the Metropolitan Police Department approximately $870,000, including about $1,000 in overtime.
On average, D.C. police have about 20 duty officers per shift per day that monitor and respond to protest events around the District, costing the department $22,000 a day.
The D.C. Department of Public Works has spent about $6,000 on sanitation services like emptying trash cans and sweeping streets, along with parking enforcement.
The D.C. Department of Transportation has spent about $14,000 on traffic control officers, including $4,400 associated with Wednesday’s Key Bridge protest.
The figure from D.C. police does not account for the costs associated with Wednesday’s protest.
The figures associated with Occupy D.C. are a fraction of those tied to the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York, which has cost the city about $6 million.
WTOP’s Mark Segraves contributed to this report. Follow “>WTOP on Twitter.
(Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All rights reserved.)