Torch relay costs $22K in overtime
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Updated: November 18, 2009 2:50 PM
Kyle Slavin
News staff
The Olympic torch relay that passed through Greater Victoria on Oct. 30 cost Saanich police $22,500 in one-day costs.
That figure accounts mainly for overtime costs by officers, said Sgt. Julie Fast, but doesn’t include the cost of regularly-scheduled officers on that day.
“There was a lot of planning that went into it beforehand, so we knew what kind of resources we’d need,” she said. “And when you know (in advance), you can get a good sense of approximately how much you need to budget to take care of those resources.”
More than 80 Saanich officers were deployed on the Friday for the relay alone, managing crowds as the flame passed through Victoria, Esquimalt, the Peninsula, Saanich and Oak Bay.
Victoria police tallied approximately $141,000 in overtime on the day. Their total includes pre-planning, training, equipment and torch-related post-event costs. Those outside costs extracted, the day cost $80,000, said Sgt. Grant Hamilton with Victoria police.
Neither figure includes the $60,000 the department spent on a backup radio system, used for the day to ease the burden on the problem-plagued CREST radio system.
VicPD Chief Jamie Graham defended the costs, saying the department has to spend money to ensure public safety, “and I make no apologies for that.”
Fast agreed, saying the money Saanich spent on overtime was an investment to help keep people safe during the celebrations. Despite large crowds at Elk Lake, Braefoot Park and the University of Victoria, there were no problems for police.
– with files from Erin Cardone
kslavin@saanichnews.com
