Police to be Paid $470K for RNC Enforcement

Clearwater Police will be reimbursed more than $470,000 for the use of hundreds of officers who worked thousands of hours in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties during the Republican National Convention.

The 219 officers worked 16,607.4 hours in Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Tampa during the convention, which was Aug. 27 to 30. That averages out to almost 76 hours for each officer. 

“The hours worked during the week of the RNC have been approved,” Steven King, administrative support manager at Clearwater Police, wrote in a Dec. 13 email to Police Chief Anthony Holloway. “That is all of the information I have right now, and I just wanted to pass along the good news.”

Clearwater city officials expected to see an increase in vehicle traffic similar to spring break levels at the beach. But with the threat of Tropical Storm Isaac, that was not the case. 

The first day of the Republican National Convention in Tampa was canceled. While Clearwater hosted delegates from seven states, many guests stayed indoors in between shuttling to Tampa.

Related coverage:

• What to do in Clearwater During the RNC
• Beach, Downtown Traffic Expected to Increase Because of RNC
• RNC Opening Day Canceled Due to Storm Threat
• RNC Guests at Hotels, But Don’t Stick Around to Shop