The cost of the 99% occupation in Oakland continues to rise, even after the camp in front of City Hall has been cleared.
The extra police time is expected to cost $1.1 million. That includes a bill for $500,000 that will come in from surrounding communities that sent police officers to help clear the park. Those officers, many of whom were paid overtime, cost between $70 and $80 per hour.
The city expects the actual cleanup of the park to cost as much as $16,000 per day, as crews work to repair irrigation lines, remove graffiti, and pick up debris. The grass, which was destroyed by the encampment, will cost $30,000 to replace.
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
Occupy Oakland’s costs to its host city are growing – and no end is in sight.
The city said Monday that it had spent $2.4 million since the first tent was pitched at Frank Ogawa Plaza on Oct. 10, including $1.1 million in police costs alone. Those expenses shot up sharply with Monday’s sweep to clear out the encampment outside City Hall.
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