What Will The Pope's NYC Visit Cost Taxpayers?

By ERIC KIEFER

What will be the final cost of Pope Francis’ visit to New York City, and who will end up footing the bill?

Expected to draw upwards of a million people to the area, Pope Francis’ three-day stay in New York will command serious security and transportation resources.

Some of the costs of the pope’s visit to NYC may be covered by event organizers and donations, such as in Philadephia, where the World Meeting of Families is attempting to raise $45 million to help defray the city’s expenses when Francis arrives after departing New York, Fortune.com stated.

And because the visit is designated a national special security event by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, up to $4.5 million in funding may come via the agency’s annual allocation, Yahoo Finance reported.

“But like any national security event — such as the visit of a president, or a high profile game like the Super Bowl — taxpayers will be picking up the rest,” NJ.com stated.

THE HIGH COST OF SECURITY

One of the most obvious taxes on police resources will come in New York City, where the Pope’s itinerary includes a visit to the United Nations, a religious service at the World Trade Center site and a Mass in Madison Square Garden.

The cost of papal visits has risen over the past years, according to the NYPD website.

Pope John Paul’s five-day visit in 1995 cost $4,401,714. More than 36,713 personnel participated in the multi-day detail, including 685 lieutenants, 3,810 sergeants, and 32,218 police officers.

Pope Benedict XVI’s three-day visit in 2008 ended up costing the New York Police Department $6,584,637. More than 12,538 personnel participated in the detail, including 443 lieutenants, 1,515 sergeants, and 10,580 police officers.

No anticipated cost was given on the NYPD website for Pope Francis’ visit. But police estimate that the visit will require 37 miles of barriers, 1,200 traffic cones and 43 sand trucks and 19 barrier trucks in addition to salaries for personnel.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — which will be providing additional security coverage over the weekend — spent $100,000 in police overtime this year to provide security for President Obama’s visit, but declined to comment on possible cost for Francis’ tour, NJ.com reported.