The city of Charleston dedicates a significant portion of its annual budget to the police department. For the current fiscal year the capital city has set aside $111 million dollars to the Charleston Police Department and that includes more than $2.5 million for overtime pay, which has grown exponentially over the past few years. Several former and current police officers reached out to Eyewitness News with concerns about the overtime. Officers discussed the possibilities of waste, fraud and abuse. They were also worried about the impact massive overtime payments may have on one of the department’s pension plans that covers many retired and older officers still on the force. Budget planning for the next fiscal year is underway.