Police rack up $220,000 in overtime costs during riots, protests

The Federal Government picked up the tab for emergency medical supplies needed during the coronavirus pandemic in Prince William County.

The Board of County Supervisors accepted $344,000 in federal grant funds to help offset the county’s costs to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and to provide emergency medical care to residents.

“The funding from this grant will be used to provide the equipment and supplies needed to ensure County employees and the community continue to practice social distancing consistently while still safeguarding security within County buildings and the health of County employees, inmates at the County’s Adult Detention Center (ADC), and the community,” county documents state.

Before the Board of County Supervisors accepted the funds, Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry asked if the county would consider using some of the federal funds to pay for police overtime in the wake of multiple riots and protests in the county in the past month.

As of June 5, the police department has racked up 3,735 hours of overtime since the May 30 riot, costing at least $220,000, according to Prince William police spokesman 1st Sgt. Jonathan Perok.

County Executive Christopher Martino assured the Board taxpayers would pick up the tab for all of the overtime, and that police would continue to protect the community no matter what the cost. But he cautioned Angry about mixing the money, as the federal funds come with strings attached and are only to spent on coronavirus-related expenses.

“Our police department has been heavily involved in the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movements, and I know [the overtime expenses are not related to] COVID-19 but it is in the COVID-19 season,” said Angry.

The county’s budget task force is now taking a “hard look” at the expenses, and whether or not it will be allowed to use the coronavirus funding to pay for police overtime.

“I’m not comfortable mixing COVID money,” said Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson.

“Yeah, we’re not going to do that. We won’t be pushing the envelope too much,” replied Martino.

Prince William County was awarded $41 million in federal coronavirus relief funds, known as CARES Act funds.

On May 30, five people were arrested and four police officers were injured during a riot at the intersection of Sudley Road and Sudley Manor Drive, just five miles outside Manassas. The next day, rioters returned and looted a Walmart store on Liberia Avenue in Prince William County, and vandalized multiple stores across the street in Manassas.

In addition, there were several protests held along major roadways to include U.S. Routes 1 and 29 in Woodbridge and Gainesville, respectively.