As protesters call to defund the police across the state and nationwide, reports find that the Boston Police Department's total budget has jumped more than 40% in less than a decade.
City payment records show that the police payroll has increased by $125 million since 2011, with overtime growth costing an additional $35.5 million - 84% - spent over the same period, according to the Boston Globe.
More than two dozen officers earn more than $300,000, the Globe reports. The average pay for an employee in the Boston Police Department was $127,094 last year, including overtime and detail pay.
The report comes after Mayor Marty Walsh proposed a 20%, or $12 million, cut to the BPD overtime budget. The new budget invests those funds in equity and inclusion.
Walsh also recently declared racism a public health crisis.
