Hmmm. This is a confusing one. So CCNY should have acted sooner and been more firm and decisive with these protestor/agitators. No argument there.
But had they been firmer and acted sooner in calling in police, would they still be on the hook for the costs to round up the hooligans?
So what are the taxes that NY takes in to pay police for? To have them stand around and collect pensions? And any duties they have to perform are charged extra to a third party? Seems to me it costs the same to have them standing around as it does to have them actually working.
Now if they had to bring in off duty cops and pay overtime, then there is an argument that the college pay the extra costs, if the NYPD made it clear up front that they could have cleared things out sooner and with regular duty personnel had CCNY allowed it.
The University allowed, encouraged this to happen.
If I live on 50 acres and intentionally set fire to it myself, I expect that I should have to reimburse the local fire departments once they come and put it out.
If Columbia had acted sooner, it would not have grown so large and destructive.