Overtime costs reach into millions for Las Vegas shooting

By Michael Scott Davidson Las Vegas Review-Journal

7 years ago

Las Vegas police officers talk at Las Vegas Boulevard and Reno Avenue outside of the Luxor, near the Route 91 Harvest festival grounds in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017. A gunman opened fire on attendees of a music festival Sunday night, resulting in the death of 58 people, with over 500 more injured. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @csstevensphoto

A hazardous materials cleanup crew works near the Route 91 music festival grounds along Las Vegas Boulevard near Reno Avenue in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017. A gunman opened fire on attendees of a music festival Sunday night, resulting in the death of 59 people, with over 500 more injured. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Overtime costs for Las Vegas-area police and government employees related to the Route 91 Harvest festival shooting will be in the millions, officials report.

Rich Hoggan, chief financial officer for the Metropolitan Police Department, said employees at his agency have logged about 50,000 overtime hours since the Oct. 1 attack. That, coupled with other expenses related to the shooting, have produced a bill of $3.5 million.

“I’m pretty confident that’s right in the neighborhood of where we’ll end up,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll be incurring any more costs related to the events.”

The bill will be paid in-part through grants in the form of $1 million in federal money and $600,000 from the Nevada Attorney General’s office.

Clark County spokesman Erik Pappa said county employees’ overtime costs are between $300,000 and $500,000.

“It’s going to be in the millions of dollars over the long term,” Pappa said.

The county is working with U.S. Justice Department consultants to submit applications for DOJ anti-terrorism and emergency assistance grants, Pappa said. However, it could be two years before the county gets reimbursed.

“Orlando received more than $9 million for the Pulse (nightclub shooting) and its aftermath,” Pappa wrote in an email. “The 1 October event was much larger in scale.”

Pappa added that the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center, a long-term, county-run resource center for Las Vegas shooting victims and families, will likely remain open for at least three years.

“We’re dealing with issues of post-traumatic stress disorder which aren’t resolved quickly,” he said.

Contact Michael Scott Davidson at sdavidson@reviewjournal.com or 702-477- 3861. Follow @davidsonlvrj on Twitter