Face The State Staff Report
Citing looming budget cuts as the reason for delay, the Denver Police Department continues to hold up calculating the overtime bill related to President-elect Barack Obama’s Oct. 26 rally at Civic Center Park.
Media estimates concluded that 100,000 supporters attended the Obama rally, with masses of people spilling on to Broadway and the west steps of the Capitol. The Obama campaign paid for security barriers, standard event fees and damage deposits, but the city was responsible for police overtime costs. According to DPD spokesman Sonny Jackson, the department will not divulge how many total officers worked the event due to security concerns.
In an email late Wednesday, DPD Records Coordinator Mary Dulacki wrote, “we don't calculate [overtime by event] for our own purposes, and unfortunately, all finance people throughout all city agencies have been assigned to evaluate possible budget cuts in light of the economic downturn.”
Upon Face The State's third request in three weeks, Dulakci said she would have the overtime calculated by the end of next week.
The budget evaluations come on the heels of the City Council's approval of salary increases for eight of Mayor John Hickenlooper's top aides, which range from 4.5 to 12.9 percent. Hickenlooper is also facing the prospect of having to find $7 million in additional savings throughout the course of the year.