The response of the City and the Oakland Police Department to Occupy Oakland has resulted in enormous costs to the city. 

The city released memos estimating the costs of Occupy.

The July 3rd memo estimated the costs at $4.8 million, approximately 4.0 million going to personnel overtime. $800,000 was in Operations and Maintenance (O&M) costs for equipment and other services. The city projected 6 million for the fiscal year 2011-2012.13

Costs listed below are either listed as they were announced/reported or from the memos. The costs as reported are much more detailed than the city memos.

Police Costs (overtime, contracting with mutual aid, etc)

  • Police overtime Oct 25-Oct 29, 2011: $700,0002
  • Police overtime Oct 29-Nov 9, 2011: $500,0003
  • Police overtime as of July 3, 2012: $3,856,06712
  • Mutual aid for raid on encampment on Nov 14, 2011:  $300,000 and $500,000,7 (Mutual aid is free in an emergency, but planned actions such as the raid cost the requesting jurisdiction.)

City Costs

  • Early opening of Winter Shelter by one day: $3,000

  • Supply costs were expected to exceed $70,000 — everything from fuel for vehicles to water bottles for police and other employees in the field for 10 or 12-hour shifts.5

  • Information Technology department "safeguarding against hackers": $100,0004
  • Public Works Agency: $68,000 for two-day cleanup early November, 2011 at Frank Ogawa Plaza encampment.6

  • Early opening of Winter Shelter by one day: $3,0008

  • VMA Security Contract for 30 days: $540,0009
  • ​An estimated $100,000 in regular staff time that would have been devoted to other activities was spent addressing Occupy Oakland events (As of 11/14/11).10
  • Information Technology and KTOP: $17,00011

Consulting Costs

Settlements

  • July, 2013: $1.17 million for 12 Occupy protesters (need to find report) (National Lawyers Guild, including Scott Campbell)
  • December, 2013: $693,000 for two protesters including $645,000 to Kayvan Sabeghi, Iraq veteran, beaten on November 2, 2011 and $48,500 will be paid to Robert Ovetz, beaten on January 28, 2012.15 
  • Scott Olsen: $4.5 million16
  •  

Sources

  1. Aronsen, Gavin. "Report: Aggressive Police Response to Occupy Oakland Was "Flawed"." Mother Jones: June 15, 2012.

  2. Handa, Sanjiv. "Will Occupy Oakland Costs Exceed $3 Million ? (Community Voices)." Oakland Local: Nov 8, 2011.

  3. Handa, Sanjiv.

  4. Handa, Sanjiv.

  5. Handa, Sanjiv.

  6. Handa, Sanjiv.

  7. Bender, Kristin J, Josh Richman, Thomas Peele and Sean Maher. "Occupy Oakland Live Blog: Police outnumber protesters at Ogawa plaza." Mercurynews.com: Nov 14, 2011.

  8. Bender et al.

  9. Bender et al.

  10. Bender et al.

  11. Bender et al.

  12. July 3, 2012 city memo.

  13. July 3 memo.

  14. Artz, Matthew. "Oakland budgets $750,000 to outsource Occupy complaints." Oakland Tribune: June 20, 2012.

  15. Conger, Kate. "Occupy Oakland: Police Brutality Tab Reaches Nearly $2.9M." SFWeekly.com: Dec 11, 2013.

  16. Winston, Ali. "Oakland to Pay $4.5 million to Iraq War Vet Scott Olsen." East Bay Express: Mar 21, 2014.

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