City spent $540K in police overtime during Taylor Swift weekend, records show

    INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) -- 2024 was a big year for Indianapolis hosting events, including multiple shows by Taylor Swift on November 1-3.

WRTV Investigates has learned the weekend came at a cost to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

WRTV Investigates Kara Kenney filed a records request and found IMPD spent $540,939 in overtime for Taylor Swift weekend.

“These events are heavy on our personnel,” said IMPD Chief Chris Bailey.

Chief Bailey says his favorite Taylor Swift song is Shake it Off, but there’s no shaking the fact that hundreds of IMPD officers worked the event— providing security inside and outside Lucas Oil Stadium as well as directing both vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

“We had our SWAT assets in different locations,” said Chief Bailey. “We had traffic control, pedestrian traffic control outside and officers able to respond to issues like crowd control or some kind of significant issue.”

IMPD officers also spent time exchanging friendship bracelets with fans.

“Most of the time when an officer interacts with someone it’s on their worst day,” said Bailey. “It’s music that brought everyone together.”

Chief Bailey said they considered Taylor Swift an international event because so many people to came to Indianapolis from all over the world.

“Taylor Swift had to cancel concerts in Europe because of terrorism threats,” said Bailey. “That was on the front of our mind. In these big international events that are going to draw people from all over the world, we have to be extra vigilant, extra prepared.”

Economists predicted the Eras Tour would provide a $150 million economic boost to the Indianapolis area.

WRTV Investigates asked Visit Indy this week if it had a more precise figure.

"We don’t have a firm economic impact number but know it was a healthy nine-figure number," said Clare Clark, spokesperson for Visit Indy.

Some critics, like Rev. Charles Harrison, called IMPD’s coverage “excessive.”

“Someone from IMPD mentioned that we have nearly 400 police officers downtown each night for the three-day Taylor Swift concert,” Harrison posted on X on November 2. “That seems like an excessive number of officers in the area, especially considering the shortage of officers and the public safety crisis in the urban core of Indianapolis.”

WRTV Investigates asked Chief Bailey if half a million dollars in overtime is money well spent.

“Hundreds of thousands of people come to our city, they enjoy the event and they go home the way they came safely, then it is worth every dime," said Bailey.

The chief also emphasizes that the $540,939 in overtime for Taylor Swift weekend is only .16% of IMPD’s $339 million total budget.

“Yes, it’s a fraction, but it’s taxpayer money so we don’t look at it as that,” said Chief Bailey. “It’s important we utilize it in the best way we can.”

IMPD is budgeted for 1,743 officers, but they only have 1,455, which is a shortage of 288 officers.

Chief Bailey: With the savings we have from not having 1,743 officers, that’s the money utilized to pay overtime. WRTV Investigates: Does understaffing contribute to these overtime expenses? Chief Bailey: Absolutely. It absolutely does.

A shortage of staff and officers working long hours takes a toll on morale.

“We are a tired agency," said Chief Bailey.

Taylor Swift was not the only big event in 2024.

WRTV Investigates also filed a records request for IMPD overtime during the NBA All-Star weekend.

We found the city spent $551,677 during the NBA All-Star weekend in February 2024.

IMPD is already preparing for 2026 when Indianapolis will host the Final Four April 4-6.

Chief Bailey is searching for ways to reduce overtime, especially during big events.

“That’s part of my priorities this year is to look at ways we can reduce overtime so we can be more efficient, not just to save money but also to save the wear and tear on our officers which impacts morale,” said Bailey.

WRTV Investigates also filed a records request with Indiana State Police, which also worked during Taylor Swift weekend, but the agency said it did not have any records to provide.

“ISP did not track overtime specific to the Taylor Swift concert,” said Cynthia Forbes, legal counsel for Indiana State Police. “It was just claimed as regular work or overtime per the individual officer and would be distinguishable from any other hours worked such as for a crash worked during that time.”