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Occupy Denver Protests Cost Police Less Than Thought

DENVER (CBS4)- The overtime bill for police in Denver associated with the Occupy Denver protests is much less than previously estimated.

Police in Denver have donned riot gear three times since the Occupy movement began to have a presence in Denver. Saturday was the third time officers have suited up in the riot gear.

The Denver Police Department had previously stated the riot gear responses cost the department more than $300,000 each time.

The Department of Safety said those numbers are not accurate. In a supplemental budget request only $200,000 was requested to cover overtime to pay for the protests. That amount is expected to cover expenses from the first response in October through the end of the year.

PHOTO GALLERY: Occupy Denver

According to the Dept. of Safety, most of the officers used to keep the demonstrations under control were already on duty.

A final report tallying the entire cost of the protest for every city agency should be released on Thursday.

The police said they have a new strategy for handling the protest. They have moved a police detail to Civic Center Park to monitor the protesters at all times.

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