The Occupy Seattle protests have cost the city $104,869 in overtime through last Friday, according to figures released Wednesday.

Police overtime — $97,200 — accounts for most of the expense. The cost to Parks and Recreation reached $5,936 with the Finance and Administrative Services Department totaling $1,733 in overtime.

Mayor Mike McGinn's office asked for the accounting from its departments after news organizations inquired about the costs. The city plans to release weekly reports as the protests continue.

McGinn spokesman Aaron Pickus said the totals are estimates dating back to Oct. 1, the first day protesters gathered at Westlake Park to call attention to corporate greed and the widening gulf between rich and poor.

"This is part of city business — accommodating free-speech events," Pickus said.

Sgt. Sean Whitcomb, police spokesman, said overtime costs related to Occupy Seattle are largely the result of "deliberate, law-violating behavior," that is, protesters who ignored the city ban on camping in parks at night. About 45 people have been arrested since the protests began, according to the City Attorney's Office.

The police department's annual budget includes money for unscheduled events requiring heightened security, Whitcomb said.

Since police arrested eight protesters early Monday morning, some members of the Occupy Seattle group have moved to City Hall Plaza at night.

About 110 people and 25 tents occupied the plaza Monday night, said Katherine Schubert-Knapp, spokeswoman for the Finance and Administrative Services department. The city has added two security guards at City Hall as well as portable toilets to accommodate the protesters, Schubert-Knapp said.

Lynn Thompson: 206-464-8305 or lthompson@seattletimes.com