DC police spent over $11 million in overtime costs during month of trucker convoy

Cost of deploying civil disturbance units in DC

D.C. Police paid out over $11.6 million in overtime costs in one month as the city was preparing and staffing for possible trucker convoys.

WASHINGTON - D.C. Police paid out over $11.6 million in overtime costs in one month as the city was preparing and staffing for possible trucker convoys.

Police deployed civil disturbance units, or CDUs, starting Feb. 22, and they lasted through the end of March.

FOX 5 has asked – through a Freedom of Information Act request – for police overtime costs during the entire CDU deployment period. While the District used the CDUs for more than five weeks, for now, we have only received the amount paid over four weeks.

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For perspective, the police department paid less than $3.2 million in overtime over the same period in 2021.

FOX 5’s Lindsay Watts was first to report Tuesday that police are once again deploying CDUs through Sunday, May 8. The added reinforcements are being called upon following protests at the Supreme Court and talk of truckers returning to the region.

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Det. Adam Shaatal, with the D.C. Police Union, said the prior patrols took a toll on officers with some working three weeks straight.

"Everybody’s working. Your days off are canceled, you’re working extended tour of duties. Leave is restricted," Shaatal said. "It’s extremely unfortunate. It is a huge commitment that the members make to this department. They’re away from their families. It’s a big deal."

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Tuesday the CDU costs were necessary spending to ensure safety.

"It’s not only worth it, it’s our job," Bowser said. "We are the nation’s capital. We have a special responsibility."

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Shataal said the cost and extra hours worked show the need for a fully staffed department. The number of officers is the lowest in two decades, and he said civil disturbance units take away officers needed to solve crimes.

"Unfortunately, because we’re so short-staffed, we are taking from our detective's bureau and other places that would’ve been working some of our most violent crimes, our shootings, our robberies, our stabbings, our carjackings — we’re putting them in a uniform, and we’re putting them in a car."

FOX 5 is continuing to work to get the full costs the city spent prepping and staffing for the trucker rallies. Police overtime is just part of the total cost.