Extra Winnipeg officers plus increased overtime during Whiteout parties push police over budget

It was a Stanley Cup playoff run the city had never seen before, and one many didn’t want to see end.

While the Winnipeg Jets eventually lost the Western Conference Final to the Vegas Golden Knights, Manitobans had a chance to cheer the team on through nine home post season games.

But, it all comes at a cost.

READ MORE: ‘You’re always being watched’: Winnipeg Whiteout street party security ramped up

While Economic Development is still tallying the final price tag for the Whiteout street parties, Winnipeg police said the cost of policing the parties is going to push the service’s 2018 overtime budget into the red.

“Overtime will be over budget,” the police service projected in a first-quarter financial report to the Winnipeg Police Board. “Second quarter resources required for the Jets Whiteout events alter the projection from have been being under budget now to be over budget for year end.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Overtime will be over budget," the police service projected in a first-quarter financial report to the Winnipeg Police Board. "Second quarter resources required for the Jets Whiteout events alter the projection from have been being under budget now to be over budget for year end."

While the report does not attach any dollar figures to the tab, it does state the cost would have been far higher had the Jets been able to make it to the Stanley Cup Final.

In a letter to the Police Board post-dated June 1, Chief Danny Smyth noted “there were no serious incidents” during any of the Whiteout parties but said planning for them was a high task.

“It was clear to me that the combination of Winnipeg Jets fan excitement, the anticipated large crowd attendance at Whiteout Parties and the overall number of fans gathering in our downtown area would become a large undertaking for the Service and there were a number of factors to consider in this planning,” Smyth wrote.

READ MORE: Winnipeg Whiteout party could pass 20,000 fans on hottest day of the year

Police were tight lipped on any specifics regarding security plans but did release one number.

For game one at the start of Round 3 versus the Vegas Golden Knights, the service had 236 members working the Whiteout party and said “the scope of this deployment and planning affected every single division in the service.”

Smyth said his team reviewed several different reports regarding large similar events that occurred with respect to NHL playoff crowds in other Canadian cities. Specifically making note of the “After Action Report” prepared after the 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riots.

He also said there had to be serious consideration given to ‘lone wolf’ terrorist attacks happening around the world, and most recently the incident in Toronto that occurred during these playoffs.

“(It) was a catalyst for some of the layers of protection we initiated,” Smyth said.

The total cost of the Whiteout parties, which is split between Economic Development, the city and True North Entertainment and Sports, is anticipated to be released at the end of the week.