This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2005, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah's moment with President Bush - it lasted 110 minutes - came with a price tag for Salt Lake City. The bill was $8,491.26. That's amounts to $77.19 a minute. The money was what the Salt Lake City Police Department paid out to its officers working overtime as part of the presidential moment. "There were certainly additional costs," said Jerry Burton, the department's director of administrative services. "This is the overtime cost." Other costs include shifting officers from normal duties to help protect Bush during his visit on Aug. 22. The extra officers were needed as Bush gave a speech at the annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars at the Salt Palace Convention Center. A "free speech" zone, which brought out some 2,000 peace activists, also meant additional cops were on the clock. Salt Lake City police officers also helped with security as Bush moved from the Salt Lake City International Airport to the downtown area. This was Bush's first visit to Utah since he came for the 2002 Winter Olympics. The Police Department pays for the overtime through $350,000 budgeted for special events. - Jacob Santini


