Miami is getting prepared for an onslaught of people who are taking sides in the battle over free trade.
Six years ago, protesters turned parts of Seattle into scenes of chaos as radical groups of tried to gain the attention of not only those attending a free trade conference, but also the world. In less than two weeks, thousands of protesters are expected to be in Miami for the Free Trade Area of Americas conference.
Supporters say the conference will give South Florida an economic boost, but the conference is also coming at a price.
The city of Miami Police Department has been training for the weeklong FTAA meetings for the past year.
MPD estimates that it's already spent $131,000 in overtime for training, as well as for seminars for community and business leaders. The department expects to have spent another $520,000 for new equipment and supplies.
By the time the talks end, the city will reportedly have spent at least $2 million.
Most of the money will go for crowd control of peaceful demonstrators and nightmarish traffic rerouting.
The city is also prepared for a small number of protesters who may do violence like what was done four years ago in Seattle.
In all, 40 law enforcement agencies will be involved keeping the peace.
The Miami-Dade County Police Department conducted all its field force training during on-duty hours, but it's spent $900,000 for special equipment.
MDPD estimates anywhere between $4 million to $8 million in overtime costs by the time the FTAA conference ends.
Gov. Jeb Bush said he believes these talks, without violence or disruption, will result in the FTAA basing its headquarters in South Florida, with it creating upwards of 80,000 more jobs.
The federal government is giving Miami $8.5 million that was approved as a line item in a bill funding the war in Iraq.
If the highest estimates of as many as 100,000 protesters prove true, that amount of money may not come close to covering the city's expenses.
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