On the upper part of the New Haven green sits Occupy New Haven, a group of protesters who have been camped out since mid-October.
While the Occupiers say they speak out for the rights of the 99 percent, they are also costing the city of New Haven money. In the first few months of occupation, the City spent more than $60,000 in police overtime.
“The financial situation that local municipalities are in today, they're stretched to the limit, and even though these people want to protest, they have to realize there comes a time when they should stop their protest and go down different avenues,” said Lawrence Cohen.
The majority of the costs came at the beginning of the Occupy movement, because police didn't know what the protest would be like, or what other fringe groups would be around, according to authorities.
“We had to be prepared for what we didn't know. There were a large number of police officers, some of them not visible at the beginning of the operation, deliberately kept in the wings,” said New Haven Police Officer David Hartman.
The police department has a responsibility to protect everyone in the city, no matter where they are or what the cost.
“I think taxpayers are concerned about costs, I think they're also concerned about the message of Occupy New Haven, and I think they're also concerned about the expression of free thought, so I think there's a balance to these things,” said New Haven Mayor John DeStefano.
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The police presence has been scaled back, because of the cooperation between Occupy New Haven and officers. So far, it's been a peaceful protest.
“The police here, we're very grateful for because they watch out for us, they protect us," said Ty Hailey, a member of Occupy New Haven.
Occupiers say the good relationship should be copied in other Occupied cities.
