OUTRAGE: Newark Residents Hit With $187,000 Police OT Bill For Whitney Houston Funeral

Locals Say Considering How They Were Treated, The Cost Is Hardly Justified

April 6, 2012 7:10 PM

Whitney Houston’s casket is loaded in to a hearse outside New Hope Baptist Church after her funeral on Feb. 18, 2012 in Newark, N.J. Whitney Houston was found dead in her hotel room at The Beverly Hilton hotel on Feb. 11, 2012. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Getty Images)

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NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — Whitney Houston’s funeral is costing the city of Newark tens of thousands of dollars in police overtime.

And some taxpayers say as much as they loved the pop star they’re not happy about footing the high security costs, reports CBS 2’s Christine Sloan.

Houston’s family brought her back to Newark, where thousands of people lined the streets to get a glimpse of the hearse carrying her body. Fans even tried to get close to the church where her private funeral was held.

It was a farewell to a beloved star that touched the hearts of many, but it also cost the city of Newark more than $187,000 in police overtime, representing 5 percent of the $4 million budget for the year.

“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous when you have people who are unemployed and homeless, people walking up and down the streets,” Newark resident Quincy Ruffin said.

Ruffin said Houston’s family should have paid for the officers.

“If they wanted it to go that far, do that much, they should have been the ones providing for it,” Ruffin said.

Others said what makes them more angry is the public wasn’t allowed anywhere near the funeral that attracted big stars.

“I think it was a waste of time and then now we find out what happened and how she actually died, it makes you think twice saying was it worth it or not,” resident Minerva DelValle said.

Nearly 200 police officers were stationed at the New Baptist Church, the funeral home and a family gathering at the Newark Club afterwards. One city official said that the overtime cost was necessary because of public safety.

“I was able to be witness to the thousands upon thousands of people who were desperate to attend service but held back by barriers and officers of the law,” said Democratic Councilwoman Mildred Crump. “If they had not been there someone may have been trampled, seriously hurt.”

In Westfield, where Houston was laid to rest, $9,000 in police overtime was spent, a necessary cost to make sure no one got hurt, officials said.

The Newark Police Department released the overtime figures to CBS 2. Mayor Cory Booker and the police director were unavailable for comment on Friday.

Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below …

Royce

Whoever gave the order needs to lose their job for donating the huge and unnecessary police presence for the Whitney Houston funeral. They also deserve to be fired for providing a high profile drug addict honors usually reserved for an officer or official in appreciation for their sacrifice and public service. 3 or 4 officers to monitor the crowd and provide traffic control is the maximum that should have been provided at taxpayer expense, For anything additional it would be the responsibility of the family or funeral director to hire security guards or off duty police officers. In the eyes of the rest of the law enforcement community throughout the nation, the Newark Police Dept looked foolish and unprofessional for providing a Police Honor Guard to an infamous celebrity who spent most of her adult life committing felony drug offenses on a daily basis.

Corona

And John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou of KFI should be compensated by Whitneys’ estate for the 10 days they were suspended from airing their show.

wingside

And I second that thought……….those two just aren’t the same.

jessix1

This is part of the city budget. It is already taken into account and paid for. Maybe there will be no more events and the city will come in UNDER BUDGET at the end of the year.

ronnnn

maybe…. maybe .. using maybe is a great argument isn’t it ??? LOL maybe

Guglielmo Boogliodemus

Well, if they had done anything to try to keep it from becoming a Michael Jackson repeat, they would have had a riot. Family, Jesse, All and the gang would have been chimpin out and calling for white blood for disrespectin da Whitney. Oprah already got all chimpy wit her daughter. Ratings ho. Next will be the memorabilia auction. Then the movie deal. Probably a book deal too.
just my opinion

Everybody on this board who tries to blame the police, city, or governor should be ashamed of their selves. This event required a police presence because of the over whelming amount of people who wanted to be part of the action. By all means, maybe a law should be written requiring the church who hosted the event to be required to hire/provide security but don’t blame the city for doing their job. This is what taxes are for and need to be paid by all residents and businesses of that jurisdiction.

Crackhead

I jist be wantin all dat coke an crack dey finded in her rooms. True Dat!

Rod Anders

They could have charged for tickets … equal to the amount of overtime.

YosemiteSam

The cops should pull money out of the drug-evidence locker to pay for it (if there’s any left)

HaHaHaHa

The taxpayers should demand a refund,better yet,they should sue whitney’s estate.
Jaysiah24

I don’t think it’s fair to the residents of Newark to have to foot thie bill, beings we couldn’t get close or even attende the funeral, also the person or persons who took that illegal photo should have to foot the bill, they were the only one(s) who benefitted from all this S**T!!!
Crackhead

Chris Christie flew the states flags at half staff for the addled drug addict as well. Celebrating a rich almost crack ho is so ghetto.

Guglielmo Boogliodemus

So true… After reading the autopsy report, it appears she was nappy headed also.

Renee Forjustice

The cost is a bit much, this you blame on the leadership there really wasn’t a need for as many officers that attended. Many where there to get up an closes to the rich and famous and would have been there on regular time if asked, the leadership seen a way to help officer make the money an took advantage.@stonedome their status as union workers, those same union workers are the ones you call in time of needed, and then what there paid doesn’t matter. The family and other had their own security. This should not be passed off on tax payers, just no more overtime for 6 months and the budget will balance.
Denmoy

Aren’t the residents of Newark used to bending over ?
Benny

Why did Newark volunteer to be their own private security detail to begin with? If they wanted security they should have paid for it themselves. Is she the Newark crack national hero?
ernest

Her dealer should have footed the bill. He made millions off of her.

every amerikan a hero

> Here we go again. Whitney and every gringo is an Amerikan hero, if you understand the Constitution. And while she didn’t earn a folded flag, she and every gringo deserves the lowered-flag tribute. Bang. Pay up “patriotic” New Joyzeyites.

stonedome

she famous, bud i doan wans ta pay fo dat….
overtime

$187,000 for “nearly 200″ police officers = $935 per officer. Was this a one day event or over several days?

stonedome

they make $60 an hour, so double it. surprised? public employee unions are laughing at taxpayers

Secret

I can not believe this. People could not attend the funeral yet they want to take the tax payers money.. The funeral was private so why is the family not paying for their private funeral. We love Whitney and it is ashame we could not attend her funeral.
Mr. Workman

What’s the big deal. She was a war hero or something after all .
Service and sacrifice for her country…right !

Because the flags were at half staff that day. So I assume !
Mark Matis

What else would one expect New Jersey to do for JAN?

Mark Matis

And then people have the gall to say that Governor Christie is a great leader. Sheesh!

Bill E Bob

If he had a daughter, she’d look like Whitney.
Dan Carter

What the hell did Chris Christie have to do with this you clueless moron?

Mark Matis

Possible double post, but it looks like CBS New York buried my first response:

How about lowering the flags for this fine representative of New Jersey, and sticking the Mere Citizens with this bill? But then he IS Chris Christie, and therefor can do no wrong. Just like Giuliani…

TG

Let’s be honest, Newark doesn’t cover thier own bills to begin with, it is the rest of NJ tax payers that are going to foot this bill!
San Diego Steve

If ten cents was paid by the taxpayers concerning this drug-soaked, obnoxious has-been, it would be too much. Why should the public pay for a celebrity media event? The public officials who approved these expenditures should be fired.
mmercier

Newark is a sewer. The more crape they can squeeze out of the residents, the better.

Can’t carry enough bullets to pass through that hole.
Larry

An appropriate and expected farewell gift to Newark from a no good coke addict. I guess they will take it from the school district.
Maureen

The Newark residents are not alone in their outrage. My family is buried at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield. Since she has been buried there police/security personnel are posted at the front gate ( as of two weeks ago it is now a private security van). Visitors are stopped and quesstioned as to the purposee of their visit. The back gate (near the “celebrity grave”) is closed and security personnel block at least one road. Westfield residents and those who chose Fairview because of its peaceful setting are being victimized, inconvenienced and forced to pay a woman’s rightful debt. If her family wanted her insulated from those who made her rich, they should have had her cremated and kept her ashes. Their need for privacy does not obliterate others’ need for peace.
ImaHippyBurning

This is utter nonsense. I don’t care if it was freakin Frank Sinatra’s funeral the taxpayers should not have to foot the bill on this! Absolute Bullcrap! Yes, she was a talent, but also a drug addict so now any and all screwed up actors, athletes, rock stars who have to have big funerals are going to hold taxpayers accountable for their security at funerals. To hell with that! stick them in a pine box and drop them in the ladfill for all I care!
Ya Ya

Crazy. Nothing but a crackhead with a mechanical voice who wrote not a note of music and simply did what she was told in the studio. No better than Britney Spears.
susan

i dont live up there but i can definitely see why taxpayers would be upset..i do berlieve ms houstons family could have paid for security themselves..do other citiznes get the same courtesy? i doubt it..that in addition to the flags at half mast for her is sure to cause a controversy now that people realize she was a cocaine addict and had many other addictions..very sad…