Protests cost Baltimore nearly $3 million since the middle of 2019

BALTIMORE (WBFF) – Rumblings of protests resulted in Baltimore City Police Officers to close streets and create a perimeter around the Fraternal Order of Police on Labor Day as preventative measures after previous protests ended there with vandalism of the building.

The anticipated protest never happened but the increased police presence raised questions about resources and spending from the city.

Data provided by the Baltimore Police Department shows protests have cost the city $2.795 million in fiscal year 2020 and 2021; 97% of that cost stems from overtime spent on officers to staff the protests.

The price for the added presence around the FOP building Monday had not been calculated yet, according to BPD.

Jason Johnson, former deputy Baltimore City police commissioner, said the more resources are needed at events like protests, the fewer resources are available in other parts of the city.

“In a city like Baltimore, if you have a special event – including a protest – it is going to involve calling in extra resources because there’s just not enough there are no spare resources in the patrol districts,” Johnson said.

Johnson noted that the city “doesn’t really have a choice,” when it comes to policing protests, but the cost adds up. When officers are pulled from their normal patrols, Johnson said those positions will be backfilled – oftentimes racking up the overtime costs.

“For protests, those costs are borne by the taxpayers,” he said.

Attorney Steve Silverman said most protesting is covered by the First Amendment and those protections usually stand up in court – unless people are breaking the law and turning violent.

“The First Amendment clearly states that people have the right to peacefully assemble but once it turns to violence, the government has every right and frankly, should go in and end that demonstration,” Silverman said.

Johnson noted that unlike other events with large BPD presence, like a block party, the city has nowhere to turn to recoup the added costs. It’s a price Silverman said most people are willing to pay, so long as people following the law.

“I think that it’s a cost that most of us are willing to absorb to be American and to have the right to peacefully protest and to address the grievances against the government,” Silverman said. “But again, if it gets to the point where they smash windows, that’s a different animal.”

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