Consulting doubles cost of Raleigh police training trip

Department spokesman Jim Sughrue initially said the department spent  $7,700 on food and lodging during the three-day trip. A week later, the department added another $6,000 to the total, expenses Sughrue said went toward consultant fees, transportation and incidentals such as museum fees and parking.

According to a contract between the city and Gallagher-Westfall Group of Indiana, RPD paid another $11,995 for consulting services, including training materials, five days of instruction and travel expenses for the consultants.

Chief Harry Dolan has defended the outlay, attributing a decline in the number of complaints about excessive force by officers to a better trained force. 

A spokesman for the Teamsters Local 391, which represents the police interest group Raleigh Police Protective Association, argued the trip was a waste of time, resources and money.