Aurora paid nearly $8,000 for immigration reform march

Aurora police spent almost $8,000 to watch over the May 1 March for Peace and Justice through the city's East Side.

City Spokesman Dan Ferrelli said the city is on the hook for $7,665 in police overtime costs. Officials originally estimated the costs between $7,000 and $10,000.

The department called in an additional 22 officers to oversee the approximately 500-person march that ended in a McCullough Park rally.

Aldermen agreed to cover the overtime costs, just days before the march, saying it was their responsibility since the right to assemble and march is protected under the First Amendment.

Ferrelli said 25 Aurora officers, including three already on duty, joined another two dozen officers from the Illinois Law Enforcement Assistance System because the city was expecting a larger crowd than the 500 marchers that showed up. About 9,000 showed up in 2006 and organizers said they expected between 1,500 and 2,000 to attend the May 1 march.

"Everything worked like it was supposed to," Ferrelli said of the event. "Police were on hand but the event was very peaceful and there were no incidents or arrests."

Aurora activist and march organizer Jose Luis Del Bosque said his organization "Stand and March" was initially prepared to pay the police costs before the city learned it was their responsibility. So he put that money toward the nearly $3,500 in expenses including the portable washrooms, insurance and stage rental for the McCullough Park rally.

"It was worth every penny because we were able to share our message in a respectable way and we feel like we accomplished something," said del Bosque who also claimed he lost his job because of the media attention he drew to the event. "It takes a lot of guts so I'm very proud of those who came out to support us and march with us."

Plans, he said, have already begun for next year's march and rally, which he also hopes to hold in Aurora.