How Much is Teachers' Strike Costing Strongsville Police Department?

The cost of the ongoing teachers' strike in Strongsville has reached beyond the school district.

During the first month of the strike, which started March 4, the city spent $135,000 on police department overtime, according to Finance Director Joe Dubovec.

Police officers are stationed at every school building on school days for security detail.

In addition, officers are now assigned to patrol outside School Board members' homes for three hours every evening because of organized protests by teachers in the neighborhoods.

Police reports show officers are called to the protests by neighbors every time the teachers gather in front of a home. Some nights, there are only a handful of picketing teachers on the sidewalks in front of a home, while other nights there are dozens.

Mayor Tom Perciak said the cost is unavoidable.

"At the end of the day, our focus is the same," Perciak said. "We want to make sure our residents and our children are safe."

Dubovec said police officers are paid time-and-a-half for working overtime. Nearly 40 police officers are on a rotating overtime schedule for the strike.

The police department budgets money for overtime every year, and Safety Director Charles Goss has said the cost will come from that budget.

But Dubovec indicated the strike-related overtime will exceed the normal overtime expenses.

"This is going to have to be added on," he said.

Is it possible the city would bill the school district for the expense?

"That's a (city) council decision," Perciak said.

Dubovec said the Police Department overtime costs were higher the first week of the strike, then leveled off in the next two weeks, but spiked again when officers were assigned to work security outside board members' homes in the evenings.

The Strongsville schools have filed unfair labor practice charges against the Strongsville Education Association for picketing outside homes and board members' workplaces.

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For other stories on the teachers' strike, click here.

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