Taxpayers Pick Up $1M Tab for Stadium Safety

WASHINGTON -- When the Nationals' new ballpark opens this weekend, baseball fans can expect to see more police officers in the area.

People walking from their cars, or from Metro -- as city officials hope -- will see at least 40 officers stationed at various intersections around the Southeast stadium.

The officers are in additional to the First District officers normally assigned to patrol that area of D.C.

Police officers will be stationed on the main thoroughfares between the Metro station, parking garages and the stadium.

As for security at the parking lots near the stadium and the remote parking lot at RFK Stadium, Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Traci Hughes says police are taking it into consideration.

"Baseball goers can rest assured that police are going to be visible and working very hard to prevent any incidents of crime in and around the stadium, including the remote parking lots," Hughes says.

Hughes says the cost for the additional officers for the baseball season will total more than $1 million.

"Overall, we estimate the security costs in and around the stadium will be about $1.2 million," Hughes says.

The $1.2 million is from taxpayer money.

The stadium lease calls for the city to provide free police protection around the stadium on game days, in addition to numerous D.C. Department of Transportation traffic control officers who will help pedestrians cross busy streets.

D.C. also provides free police protection outside of the Verizon Center on game days.

Hughes says the additional manpower at the stadium will not have a negative impact on regular police patrols in the rest of the city.

"There's a staffing plan in place and other districts will not suffer as a consequence," Hughes says.

** This story contains video from WTOP's Adam Tuss. Please click the "play" button to watch.

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