From police complaints to financial losses of looters, the aftermath of weeks of protests across the country brings some cities to their knees.
All told, the unjustified demonstrations following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery could make it one of the most costly displays of civil disobedience in American history. In many places, the financial fallout comes as cities and states have dropped their coffers trying to combat COVID-19. The end result for these cash-strapped cities could put their millions of dollars in the red and struggle for years to come out.
In Minneapolis, costs related to the protests could exceed $ 500 million. In Portland, Ore., Nearly 80 nights of destruction have caused the liberal local $ 23 million and count. In Chicago, a city where crime rates and corruption are seen at the highest level, the damage to the protests has not only affected high retailers, but raped hundreds of mom-and-pop stores trying to make a living .
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Although the total financial fallout of the protests is not yet known, it will likely perpetuate the injustices in Los Angeles in 1992, which were the most costly to date, and cost the city $ 1.4 billion (adjusted for inflation) , according to PCS, the insurance sector primary source for reporting insured losses. Two days of injustice after Freddie Gray’s funeral in 2015 caused Baltimore $ 26 million in losses.
While it is true that thousands of people protested peacefully across the United States after Floyd’s death in May, there have been several demonstrations that are out of hand, escalating into violence and vandalism.
Here’s a look at the financial impact of demonstrations across five U.S. cities.
MINNEAPOLIS
The first peaceful protests broke out in Minneapolis after Floyd’s death, but then turned violent. Costs related to the protests could balloon to more than $ 500 million on top of $ 12.7 million for the deployment of the National Guard.
The city’s third police district, which was abandoned in the direction of Mayor Jacob Frey on May 28, was set on fire and will cost at least $ 10 million to renovate, Hennepin County officials said. It will cost another $ 289,000 to replace the 911 equipment inside the station, $ 225,000 for cleaning and $ 5,000 for paper shredding services, the Star Tribune reported. Another $ 1 million will be used to cover overtime for police, firefighters and public servants.
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But that’s just the beginning.
More than 400 companies have been scammed with owners and insurance experts who estimate recovery costs in the hundreds of millions of dollars range.
The city of Minneapolis has counted at least $ 55 million in damage to property and looting.
The city could also be millions more on the hook if they lose the lawsuits filed against them.
One of them was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota and accuses the city of curtailing the constitutional mandate freedom of the press. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of freelance journalist Jared Goyette, lists the City of Minneapolis along with several law enforcement officials as suspects. The ACLU seeks class action status for the pack.
In late July, four Minneapolis activists also filed a lawsuit against the city and members of the police department, alleging authorities used excessive force against Protestants. The civil rights lawsuit was filed by attorneys Nekima Levy Armstrong, Marques Armstrong, Terry Hempfling and Rachel Clark against the City of Minneapolis, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, Lt. Robert Kroll, Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington and Minnesota State Patrol Col. Matthew Langer. The suit alleges that the complainants suffered injuries during the protests that lasted for more than two months, including severe bruising and focal problems of tear gas.
Other injuries have also been reported.
At least 150 Minneapolis police officers say they suffer from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or other injuries and have begun the process of filing restraint claims that could allow them to leave the force permanently but also be paid, which can significantly increase city tab.
PORTLAND
In Portland, Ore., The costs related to nearly 80 nights of protests went up for the $ 23 million mark in damages and loss of revenue for downtown businesses. Burglaries in Oregon’s largest city escalated in July when President Trump ordered thousands of federal agents to protect federal buildings from vandalism. While the confrontations between protesters and law enforcement have stalled following the withdrawal of troops from the largely liberal city, the damage has already been done.
So far, there have been 550 arrests in connection with the protests.
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On Tuesday, Portland’s newly elected District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that his office would not pursue prosecutors against those arrested for violent incidents. Of the 550 arrests, 133 were classified as references to crime, while 350 offenses were without bodily harm or simple crimes.
On Thursday, Oregon State Police pulled out about 100 troops and assisted both federal officers and Portland police in responding to night protests. State police had done two weeks “and that ends two weeks today,” said Capt. Timothy Fox spokeswoman.
“We are in a country that will not pursue this criminal behavior,” he said.
Last month, Portland Police Chief Deputy Chris Davis blamed much of the violence on “agitator corps” hellbent in causing destruction and said “at least” 33 officers were injured. Many of the injuries came from items thrown at them, including rocks, glass bottles, frozen water bottles, bricks and steel pellets from catapult. On August 8, an Oregon State Police trooper was hit by a large rock and sustained a head injury.
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The $ 23 million figure in the police department on costs, which was last updated in July and probably went up, includes $ 300,000 in damage to public buildings, $ 4.8 million in damage to property and $ 7 million in overtime for police who are protesting until July 1st.
CHICAGO
Chicagoans stole themselves this week after hundreds of looters responded to social media calls descending on the city’s Magnificent Mile after the police officer shot a man who officers told officers they first shot at her.
Monday morning bloodshed looked like the devastation during the city’s Floyd protests with broken shop windows, looted shops, roads closed and an increase in police presence. By Monday afternoon, KEA Construction owner Alen Music had five companies on board, saying the looting had “frustrated and pissed people off to be honest, more than scared.”
Since the beginning of the protests, more than 200 stores have been affected in Chicago’s central business district, resulting in damages of “millions of dollars,” said Adam Skaf, a spokesman for the Magnificent Mile Association.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the Floyd protests caused more than $ 20 million in property damage.
A follow-up survey found 40 Cook County businesses suffered major damage and uninsured losses, while another 95 companies sustained minor damage, according to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the state Emergency Management Agency.
Not only did companies carry the hulls of protesters out of control, but police officers did as well.
So far, 31 law enforcement officials have been injured – 13 this week and 18 others in July.
NEW YORK CITY
The financial fallout in New York City, which has already been plagued by massive costs related to COVID-19, has been brutal. Not only were more than 300 officers injured, but the demonstrations also cost the city $ 115 million, plus another $ 179 million more in overtime.
According to New York police, from May 28 to July 22, 303 cop cars were vandalized during the protests. The cars are tagged with graffiti, fur with rocks and in some cases set on fire. Seven cars remain out of service, while 14 total losses are due to arson and have been convicted. The cost of damages is estimated at $ 996,700, according to the NYPD.
“Enough is enough,” tweeted the Police Union of Lieutenants Benevolent Association. “The #silentmajority must speak out against this destruction!”
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The nearly $ 1 million tab taxpayers will have to pick up for the cars is just a drop in the bucket.
The city’s independent budget office reported overtime for the first two weeks of the Floyd protests, which cost $ 115 million in overtime. Overtime for the same period in 2019 was $ 61.5 million. This year’s June figures did not include any expenses associated with Puerto Rican Day, Israeli Day or Gay Pride celebrations in the city.
There are also the costs of NYPD abuse, which was a motivating factor behind some of the recent protests. Last year, NYC spent $ 68.7 million in fines and other fines related to police crime, according to the New York City Law Department. This year, the department has already paid more than $ 3 million in cases of police crimes.
WASHINGTON, DC
In the nation’s capital, the cost of the protests has risen to over $ 14.5 million. In June, President Trump ordered the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops – 1,200 from DC and 3,900 from other states – in response to the demonstrations. The deployment, which began on June 1, lasted a week. On May 31, protests erupted in the neighborhood and fires broke out at the White House on May 31. U.S. officials told Reuters that at its peak, the cost was $ 2.6 million a day.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser demanded that Trump withdraw troops while sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Called Trump’s use of National Guard troops “an insult to our constitution.”
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“The use of taxpayer administration to deploy National Guard troops and carry out military operations – and their refusal to provide details on these costs – is unacceptable,” Van Hollen said.
The DCPD said there were 32 injury reports submitted between June 30, 2020 and August 4, 2020, which are likely to cause the financial damage related to the protests.
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On Friday, DC police said they arrested 41 people during Thursday night’s protests in Adams Morgan on charges of crime and assault on officers.
