Extra Security To Remain In Olympia For Near Future

OLYMPIA, WA — Despite concerns about the potential for protests and unrest surrounding Inauguration Day, the Capitol Campus in Olympia remained quiet Wednesday. Now, WSP and the Washington National Guard says they are both planning to withdraw their extra security — but not immediately.

"We're fortunate and happy we've had another calm day on the Capitol Campus in Olympia," said Washington State Patrol Communication Director Chris Loftis. "We have not had the conflict and the dangerous type of interactions and illegal activity we saw back on the 6th of January."

Earlier this month, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee mobilized Washington State Patrol troopers and up to 750 members of the Washington National Guard to secure the campus. The move was a reaction to both the Jan 6. insurrection in D.C. and a protest which breached the gates of the governor's mansion in Olympia the same day.

But despite concerns that Biden's inauguration could spark similar unrest, Wednesday passed without incident. Now, WSP says they and the National Guard will begin to draw back their forces in the near future, once they're certain no lingering threats remain.

"The fact that we've had no threats and had no situations arise does not mean that we couldn't see threats or dangerous activity in the near future," Loftis said.

And when troopers are cleared to leave, it will be a process which could take days.

"Eventually there will be a draw down, and it will not be an event, it will be a gradual situation," said WSP Sgt. Darren Wright.

Now that the WSP and the guard are beginning to plan their withdrawal, they're also grappling with the costs that these extra security measures have incurred — costs that they say were fairly substantial.

Thursday Loftis provided a breakdown of WSP spending thus far, which includes:

• $1,507,450 in personnel costs from Jan. 6 through 19.
  • That figure includes $488,299 in regular pay, and $1,019,151 in overtime pay for troopers.
• $37,658 in food costs.
• $1,049 in supplies.
• Roughly $52,000 in lodging and n estimated $10,000 for equipment purchases.

The National Guard has not compiled their spending, but Washington Military Department Communication Director Karina Shagren confirmed their costs were likely higher than WSP's.

"It's going to take us a couple of weeks to reconcile our personnel costs, as well as costs for various things like food and hotel costs," Shagren said. "But as Chris [Loftis] has warned you, it's going to be an expensive bill."

Loftis says he's aware that some will be put off by the high price point, but that these expenditures were necessary following the violence in D.C.

"Unfortunately, this is somewhat self-inflicted, this is the decisions that people have made. Illegal decisions in both Washington D.C. and here in Olympia, in our state Capitol that necessitated the need to expend these dollars," Loftis said.