In the early hours of April 30, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik announced that negotiations with student protesters had failed. She ordered the students, who were demanding that the school divest from Israel, to disband their encampments and end their protests.
Instead, students occupied Hamilton Hall and renamed the building Hind’s Hall in honor of Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl killed in the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces. The situation escalated when the New York City Police Department stormed the campus for the second time in two weeks, violently mass arresting students at the behest of Shafik.
The cost of this crackdown is significant, with estimates suggesting that New York City spent at least $200,000 on overtime alone for the four-hour raid to clear Hamilton Hall. Mayor Eric Adams has called for Columbia to help cover some of these costs, but for now, it is New York City residents who are bearing the financial burden.
Jawanza Williams, director of organizing at VOCAL-NY, criticized the prioritization of policing over essential social and economic support services in the city. He highlighted that the funds spent on policing could have been used to staff up the city’s housing discrimination office or assist families in need of housing support.
The cost of the crackdown is expected to rise as protests continue to grow, with large numbers of police being deployed at daily protests across the city. Past protests have shown that the fiscal toll of the NYPD’s response could reach nine figures, as seen during the George Floyd protests in 2020.
To estimate the cost of the police force deployed at Columbia, The Intercept used public eyewitness accounts and photo evidence to determine that hundreds of officers were present. The average cost of NYPD overtime is $100 per hour per officer, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on overtime alone to clear Hamilton Hall.
Shafik requested that NYPD officers remain on campus for an extended period, further adding to the potential costs. One student who was arrested during the raid reported that police taunted protesters about the amount of overtime they were earning.
The crackdown on Columbia is part of a broader trend of police interventions on college campuses across New York City. The NYPD has arrested nearly 500 people at various universities as protests continue to escalate.
The financial implications of these crackdowns will strain an already austerity-hit city budget. Mayor Adams has imposed multiple rounds of budget cuts, leading to service reductions in public libraries and schools. Despite some funding restoration in his April budget, money for new police classes was among the reinstated items.
The cost of police overtime and potential legal settlements from protester mistreatment will further burden the city budget. Past protests have resulted in multi-million dollar settlements for police misconduct, adding to the city’s financial liabilities.
In conclusion, the NYPD’s raid on Columbia University has already cost hundreds of thousands in overtime alone, with the potential for millions more in expenses as protests continue and potential legal actions unfold. The financial burden falls on New York City residents and raises questions about budget priorities amidst ongoing austerity measures.