A city official told the Finance Committee that the city’s ordinance that permits charging for police details may not be enforceable when applied to political events, and that legal counsel advised caution.

The point arose when staff discussed two upcoming mass gatherings advertised at City Hall. “Per our ordinance…we charge for a police detail if it’s going to be over a certain amount, but there was some back and forth on can we do that and talk to our legal counsel. … counsel advised us not to do that,” the official said, explaining that political events could carry legal risk if the city attempted to require payment for police presence.

Staff said the police department is coordinating with volunteer peacekeepers for crowd management at planned events but that police presence may still be necessary if demonstrations escalate; the presence of officers can create overtime costs. The committee asked staff to reexamine the ordinance and return with legal guidance and, if needed, a proposed ordinance amendment or administrative procedure for handling requests for police detail at political events.