Those seeking to use off-duty Arlington police officers for special events will need to dig a little deeper into their budgets in the coming year, with more cost increases likely in the pipeline.
The Arlington County Board is being asked to approve changes in the decade-old reimbursement policy for officers who are used at special events. Under the staff proposal, the cost would increase from the current $60 per officer per hour to $72.
The increases, and likely future upward adjustments, are designed to allow the county government to recoup all the costs involved with providing the service, county staff said.
Organizations and businesses often request the presence of sworn officers to provide traffic/crowd control, traffic assistance and routine monitoring. In addition to the charge for officers, there also is a fee for the presence of police vehicles at events, which is slated to move from a flat charge per event to a per-hour rate.
County Board members will hold a public hearing on the matter on March 30. If approved, the higher fee structure will go into effect July 1.
If adopted – which is likely – the change is expected to bring about $187,500 in additional revenue to the county government annually.
