ISP says costs for ‘Add the 4 Words’ protests ran close to $24,000

The state has now called Maj. Steve Richardson of the Idaho State Police, who oversees executive protection and capitol security for the ISP, to address the “Add the 4 Words” protests at the Capitol this year. He read a statement including these stats from this year’s legislative session: “109 individuals were charged with 192 separate misdemeanor violations during the protests on Feb. 3, 20, and 27, and March 4, 6, 7, 12, 14 and 18, 2014.” Richardson said the protesters violated fire codes dealing with egress and ingress, depleted limited law enforcement resources, impacted the Ada County Jail, and limited access to “state facilities and public proceedings by state employees and other members of the public.”

Richardson estimated that the cost to the ISP was close to $24,000, including $6,000 to add an additional trooper for the final weeks of the session in response to the protests. The protesters, he said, were “courteous and cooperative.”