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Fort protest may cost city about $7,000

By Gentry Braswell
Herald/Review
Published/Last Modified on Tuesday, Nov 20, 2007 - 06:10:33 am MST

SIERRA VISTA — Sunday’s protest at the Fort Huachuca Main Gate called for 25 off-duty Sierra Vista police officers to clock in for overtime.

A total of 32 officers worked the event, of which 25 were on overtime, for the approximate seven-hour detail, city Lt. Adam Thrasher said. Officers’ time sheets aren’t due until Monday morning, so exact numbers are not yet available.

The city will spend an estimated $7,000 in overtime pay as a result of the approximate 175 man-hours used during the event, Thrasher said.


For events that may occur in city right of way but are not facilitated by the city, such as parades or Sunday’s demonstration, special-use permits are disseminated throughout all seven city departments, so they can be prepared to accommodate for things like traffic interruption, Public Works Department engineering technician Bryan Mills said.

The special-use permit for this protest, which has become an annual event at the fort’s Main Gate, was put in back in the summer, Mills said.

There is no cost associated with the permit to the people who have parades or demonstrations, City Clerk Jill Adams said. Rather, people facilitating such civic interruptions are just asked to give a “heads up” to the police so they can provide traffic or crowd oversight, she said.

Herald/Review reporter Gentry Braswell can be reached at 515-4680 or by e-mail at gentry.braswell@svherald.com.

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    Why? wrote on Dec 2, 2007 8:08 PM:

    " Why was there so many cops anyway? "

    Crazy wrote on Nov 27, 2007 9:24 PM:

    " I do think and know that the fort has an obligation to protect itself, and it does everyday through various measures. Base Hater your extremist views are noted. Your less than 1% views are irrational and without thought. Thanks for wasting space on this discussion. Also, the post is not private property. It is controlled government property. No way the post defends itself everyday. Perhaps your mind put a spin on what I wrote previously. Or you do not read very well. People have the right to assemble and challenge. I am a Soldier, and fight for that right! "

    Crazy wrote on Nov 27, 2007 9:19 PM:

    " Just because some people were arrested, doesn't mean the government may charge them. I personally wish they could, but it would be against the law. The protest was not on the Fort it was on city property, so why would the fort pay for it? The fort protects itself from trespassers everyday. Hundreds of illegal ailiens are detained on-post every year. With cooperation from the the BP, the BP come and "arrest" them. The ones who broke the law face fines consistant with the laws. The ones that were arrested were arrested peacefully. Cont'd "

    Billy wrote on Nov 27, 2007 7:24 PM:

    " There should be a law for public display of stupidity for those people. "

    To No Way Crazy wrote on Nov 27, 2007 7:23 PM:

    " The fort and their so called military men and women are a bunch of P.C. namby pambys. Sierra Vista would not have needed to send police for protection, if the fort could have protected their borders. Let them protest, why were police needed? "

    Do the MPs Arrest Illegals wrote on Nov 27, 2007 6:25 PM:

    " Why don't the MPs arrest illegals for trespassing when caught. I'm not saying the three protesters should not have been arrested but just what is the difference in the crime committed? Maybe it is because they (illegals) don't have special-use permits. "

    No Way Crazy wrote on Nov 27, 2007 5:21 PM:

    " Crazy your argument defeats itself when you state "peaceful" remember the people arrested violated the law, forfiting any claim under constitutional freedoms, these freedoms don't give you the right to break any laws or regulatios and it certainly doesnt give them the right to violte private property rights. And if you feel Ft Huachuca doesnt have a right to protect itself from trespassers I suggest you see the article about the govt foiling a terrorist plot against the fort. The people who should be charged for the enforcement are the ones who broke the law. "

    Base Hater wrote on Nov 27, 2007 10:24 AM:

    " So now Ft Huachuca costs the city even more money.....when will you people wake up.....Sierra Vista is being ruined by the military. "

    Crazy wrote on Nov 27, 2007 3:45 AM:

    " They could do this everyday if they wanted to. It is illegal to charge them for expressing their beliefs. You people are really dumb when it comes to the law. How about we charge you $1.00 for every word you write in this blog. Get real people. If you don't like the 1st Amendment too bad! Ha ha ha. "

    Crazy wrote on Nov 27, 2007 3:41 AM:

    " Okay let's talk about why they were allowed to do this in the 1st place. It is called the 1st Amendment "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." It doesn't say anything about charging them because some moron in SV doesn't want to pay the police to protect the peace. This is their right. Like it or not! "

    Just another one wrote on Nov 26, 2007 10:15 PM:

    " Over $40 an hour to protect the fort who has officers of its own doing its own protection, mean while there are upwards of 2000 illegals wandering around Cochise on any given day that at a minimum are illegaly passing but also commiting crimes ranging from petty traffic offenses to larceny and murder in your town that Sierra Vista police chief refuses to address in any manner, another frivolous waste of taxpayer money. OUST THE POLICE CHIEF NOW! SV cannot afford his type of police enforcement, uh, I mean selective enforcment, hide in your homes people! "

    Like I said before wrote on Nov 26, 2007 6:06 PM:

    " Give the grunts their rifles, have them stand on the perimiter, and use the rifle butts on anyone that crosses. No cost, and some hand to hand combat training. A few cracked ribs, a few loosened teeth, end of trespassing. "

    solidox wrote on Nov 26, 2007 3:10 PM:

    " solidox sez: there's no need to have that many officers because the number of protest participants was very low to begin with and most residents were busy with their daily lives. blame this on overreaction. "

    Accounting 101 wrote on Nov 26, 2007 12:36 PM:

    " To Look at the numbers... You need to consider the city also has to pay a portion of social security, medicare, unemployment insurance, etc. for each hour billed. It could very easily add up to that. "

    John Painer wrote on Nov 26, 2007 10:35 AM:

    " There is no right charging the Sierra Vista taxpayers $7000 for a demonstration like this. Let the demonstrators pay this fee when they sign up to demonstrate. Give us taxpayers a break! "

    Look at the numbers wrote on Nov 22, 2007 5:34 AM:

    " Did anyone else look at the numbers? $7000 divided by 175 man hours is $56 per hour. What type of overtime pay is this? Does an SV police officer make $37+ per hour? The numbers don't add up. "

    Protest Fee wrote on Nov 21, 2007 12:45 PM:

    " Agree with "Bill the Protestors". Why not assign a protest fee for the demonstrators that cover excess or overtime costs for the police department. Surely our adept city government can come up with a fee structure. "

    Waste wrote on Nov 21, 2007 8:00 AM:

    " What a waste of taxpayer money. That is why liberals want to get back in the white house. They want to raise our taxes so that protestors who have no life can do what they do. Do you ever notice it is liberals that do the most protesting in this country? Do they even have jobs or do they just get donations from their rich liberal buddies? "

    Go Pauly! wrote on Nov 21, 2007 6:02 AM:

    " I so agree with you! Here's to the good old days, and let's bring them back! Oh yeah, and bill who ever applied for the permit. "

    SV Resi123 wrote on Nov 20, 2007 8:43 PM:

    " BIG DEAL we spend more money chasing illegals. "

    AzLuna wrote on Nov 20, 2007 7:59 PM:

    " This whole protest was just, well, dumb. People, who don't even live here, come down here preaching their mindless dribble, costing our city money, and they REALLY don't have anything intelligent to say! I didn't even see, or hear anything about this..."protest". Hmmm, must not have been very important, or worthy of the time and money it took to "run" it... "

    Odds wrote on Nov 20, 2007 7:25 PM:

    " I would bet that there are a lot of soldiers, and vets, that would have made sure that no one tresspassed. I was taught hand to hand combat,(Army) and a rifle butt could sure be a good reason to not cross a line. I would have loved to be the man, that showed them what happens, when you illegally enter the Fort. "

    Comment wrote on Nov 20, 2007 1:18 PM:

    " SV knew there would be cost involved. They don't *have* to provide security, so they can't charge the group(s). They provide security because it's cheaper to maintain a proper environment than to respond to a riot; it's as much for the city's and citizen's benefit as it is for the protesters (not to mention it's good training for police officers). That said, if I'm paying for it, I think I'll show up next year opposed to whichever side caused the expense to occur. "

    Billl the Protestors wrote on Nov 20, 2007 1:16 PM:

    " What a waste of the officers' time and our taxpayer money! This is a small town that can ill-afford this kind of cost for a useless protest. The protestors should be billed for the cost, and all future special use permits for this nonsense should be denied! "

    Pauly wrote on Nov 20, 2007 10:52 AM:

    " Bye Bye LOL Bye Bye "

    LOL wrote on Nov 20, 2007 8:08 AM:

    " you need a permit to protest now? I hate what our country has become. Im moving to Canada "

    JG wrote on Nov 20, 2007 7:41 AM:

    " What a waste of time effort & OUR money! These out of towners come in with a bus, a solar vehicle (??), a band, chants and poems, dressed for Halloween, protesting "what they believe" is happening on Post. "

    Don't Approve Special Permits wrote on Nov 20, 2007 7:34 AM:

    " Go ahead and send the person/organization that requested the special-use permit the overtime bill. Wait a minute, why did SV issue the special-use permit in the first place? Gee didn't the city realize there would be a cost. Was there never a cost in prior years? Wonder if there were any non-city residents in attendance? Shouldn't they pay as well since their presense contributed to the effort? Sounds like all special-use permits should include the cost of city support. Bottom line- A peaceful protest on both sides and it was a pretty day. "

    Really wrote on Nov 20, 2007 7:29 AM:

    " Next year the city should charge them $7000 for a permit. Or better yet, no permit. "

    SV Resident wrote on Nov 20, 2007 7:28 AM:

    " Do like other cities have done and bill the people who organized the protest. "

    Bill Em wrote on Nov 20, 2007 7:25 AM:

    " Send the bill to the Catholic church. The protesters claimed to be doing this in honor of the two priests who were arrested last year. Hold them accountable. "

    RJ wrote on Nov 20, 2007 7:13 AM:

    " If they show up again next year and I'm expected to foot the bill, I won't mind putting in some time on the anti-protest side of the fence. What a joke and a waste. I hope those losers enjoy their jail time. "

    Pauly wrote on Nov 20, 2007 6:39 AM:

    " Send the Quakers a bill! Raise the cost of a permit based on its controversy. I myself would rather see the gates open, no police and all the MPs in full riot gear. Bust a few heads, load them up on that (insert bad word here) bus and they wont come back! That’s the regular ARMY I remember. HUA! "

    We have the right to wrote on Nov 20, 2007 6:29 AM:

    " protest, but there was no mention about the cost. I think the protesters should pay the bill. If they show up again next year, I think the people of Sierra Vista will be a little less inclined to deal with these people now they are sucking up our tax monies. "

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