So yesterday we found out that the 1,300 motorcades needed to ferry the government’s most senior officials around the District cost the city’s taxpayers some $1.5 million in 2005, bringing the total since 2000 to over $10 million.

Today WTOP is reporting that any time a motorcade carrying the president, vice-president, or foreign dignitary makes its way through the District, some 40 D.C. police officers and 40 police cruisers are diverted from their daily tasks to provide traffic control along the motorcade’s route. And when it’s the president, three paramedics and two emergency medical services vehicles are added for good measure. WTOP continues:

Documents reveal that in addition to patrol officers, detectives, narcotics units and supervisors are routinely pulled from their regular duties to provide support to motorcades. The drain on police adds up to tens of thousands of man hours each year. When EMS units are diverted to motorcade details, they are unable to respond to emergency calls from the public.

Honestly, the feds would save the District millions if they’d just let Vice President Dick Cheney travel armed. No one would mess with him then, since we all know that whether he means to or not, he could shoot us at any moment.

Phew. Feels good to get that joke out.