The public costs for police protection at Occupy Raleigh stands at about $50,000 so far. In the Queen City, that figure is double:
Charlotte Mecklenburg police officials said … the Occupy Charlotte movement has cost them almost $105,000. That amounts to about $1,700 on an average, quiet day, but much more on the weekends when there are larger protests with sometimes hundreds of people.
That means fewer officers in other neighborhoods, and there could be other costs associated with the protests, including clean up and court costs. There have also been three arrests.
City Councilwoman Nancy Carter said the city needs to be fair. “This is a right, and we would do that for any group,” she said. “This is a normal response to what’s going on.”
