California Highway Patrol spent $38M responding to protests

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) State officials say the California Highway Patrol spent $38 million responding to recent widespread protests over racial injustice.

That brings state agencies’ combined law enforcement costs to $63 million so far.

The new highway patrol tally sent to state lawmakers is on top of $25 million that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration last week reported spending to deploy 8,000 National Guard soldiers to aid state and local police during demonstrations following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minnesota.

CHP officers reported more than 431,000 hours of unanticipated overtime. Officers were put on 12-hour shifts starting May 29.