{"id":399502,"date":"2026-07-15T16:09:48","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T16:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/399502\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T16:09:48","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T16:09:48","slug":"overtime-hours-for-anaheim-police-patrolling-disneyland-under-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/399502\/","title":{"rendered":"Overtime hours for Anaheim police patrolling Disneyland under review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For several months TimesOC reporter Gabriel San Rom\u00e1n has been taking a deep look into massive overtime pay that\u2019s been collected by Anaheim police officers who have been given a coveted beat patrolling \u201cThe Happiest Place on Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

The resulting story appears here<\/a> online and will be in print in Sunday\u2019s Daily Pilot & TimesOC. I can recommend it as a very illuminating read.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m treading lightly with it in this space, so as not to spill all the details before you have a chance to see it for yourself, but overtime earnings of a couple of men boosted their annual pay by hundreds of thousands of dollars, hardly Mickey Mouse money. <\/p>\n

One sergeant, in fact, more than doubled his salary in 2024 by collecting extra $$$ patrolling the Disneyland Resort, according to the investigative report.<\/p>\n

Anaheim PD command staff began an investigation into the matter of overtime that year on the order of then-Police Chief Rick Armendariz, and found evidence of \u201cpotential overtime misuse.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few months ago the sergeant mentioned above filed a legal claim with the city, \u201calleging his overtime hours were reduced last year in retaliation for refusing a Disney order to oversee what he asserted were \u2018arrest quotas.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Disney, which by contract with the city reimburses it for the patrols, according to the report, denies it has sought arrest quotas around its Anaheim resort.<\/p>\n

More overtime is on the wish lists of some officers. The TimesOC\u2018s look into the situation notes the police department\u2019s union leadership has maintained that \u201cstaffing levels remain insufficient in Orange County\u2019s most populous city and that overtime is required to compensate, particularly in the bustling Resort District.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot more to this story, so I encourage you to read it, especially if you happen to be a resident of Anaheim, which, like so many other O.C. cities, is facing a substantial budget shortfall.<\/p>\n

MORE NEWS \"Newport <\/p>\n

Newport Beach police form a skirmish line in an effort to control an unruly Fourth of July crowd.<\/p>\n

(City of Newport Beach)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Are more social media \u201ctakeovers\u201d such as the one Newport Beach experienced on July 4<\/a> on the horizon for other O.C. locations? On Saturday, Knott\u2019s Berry Farm police put out the word they would be beefing up their presence <\/a>, in anticipation of an \u201cunsanctioned event\u201d there. And Huntington Beach police made known in an Instagram post<\/a> last week they were aware of plans for an Aug. 1 \u201cBeach Bash\u201d takeover<\/a> there and had \u201cno intention\u201d of letting any criminal activities related to it happen.<\/p>\n

\u2022 In other Surf City news, first it involved only the lifeguard towers, now it\u2019s the steps on the iconic pier: The city is selling ad space <\/a>to try to shore up City Hall\u2019s shaky finances.<\/p>\n

\u2022 This could be a tough sell to Lake Forest voters: Six years ago they overwhelmingly (by 82.5% of the vote) supported a lifetime ban on city council members seeking reelection after having served two consecutive terms on the dais. Now they\u2019re going to be asked to overturn that ban<\/a> in the November election.<\/p>\n

PUBLIC SAFETY \"A <\/p>\n

An 80-year-old Laguna Beach woman died from injuries sustained Friday night when she crashed through the fence of an elevated parking lot, landing on Coast Highway below, KTLA reported.<\/p>\n

(KTLA)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Officials this week released the name of the Laguna Beach woman who died after driving over an embankment onto Coast Highway Friday<\/a>, in the same location where a man died last year while teaching his daughter to drive<\/a>. The identity of a 22-year-old motorcyclist<\/a> who died after running into the back of an Amazon truck in Huntington Beach over the weekend has also been released. <\/p>\n

CRIME<\/p>\n

\u2022 It\u2019s been more than two decades, but a man suspected in the 2003 murder in Costa Mesa<\/a> of one of his acquaintances is now under arrest, but the details of the 54-year-old\u2019s apprehension have not been made public.<\/p>\n

SPORTS \"Huntington <\/p>\n

Huntington Beach pitcher Jared Grindlinger delivers against San Diego Cathedral Catholic in the Southern California Regional Division I final on June 6. Grindlinger was drafted by the Angels on Sunday.<\/p>\n

(Steve Galluzzo \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

\u2022 In the first round of the MLB draft, the Angels picked 17-year-old Jared Grindlinger<\/a>, a product of Huntington Beach High. \u201cHe\u2019s ready. He\u2019s totally ready,\u201d Oilers coach Benji Medure told the Daily Pilot.<\/p>\n

\"Fifi <\/p>\n

Fifi Garcia, 14, pictured with some of her medals in her Huntington Beach home.<\/p>\n

(Eric Licas)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Speaking of young phenoms, Fei Fabiola \u201cFifi\u201d Garcia, a 14-year-old former Sports Illustrated SportsKid of the Year<\/a>, has been making her mark in multiple sports since she was in elementary school. Daily Pilot reporter Matt Szabo caught up with her in between her athletic commitments this summer for this feature story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

LIFE & LEISURE \"The <\/p>\n

The interior of the $23.4-million Witte Hall at the Newport Beach Central Library.<\/p>\n

(Susan Hoffman)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Newport Beach celebrated the opening of its $23.4-million Witte Hall auditorium<\/a> at the city\u2019s Central Library with special events over the weekend. <\/p>\n

\u2022 Orange County Music & Dance, a pre-K through 12 performing arts school, has announced the acquisition of a second building<\/a> in Irvine that will accommodate an expansion of the nonprofit\u2019s resources and programs.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Wild Rivers waterpark in Irvine has been hosting weeklong Junior Lifeguards camps<\/a> for kids ages 6-12 this summer, and a spokesperson told the Daily Pilot they believe they\u2019ll sell out all of their camp weeks soon.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley recently held a groundbreaking<\/a> for a 6,000-square-foot expansion at the Kingston Branch in Fountain Valley to create a permanent home for its ClubHouse Academy Performing Arts programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

CALENDAR \""Harry <\/p>\n

The \u201cHarry Potter and the Cursed Child\u201d North American tour stars Julia Nightingale as Delphi Diggory, David Fine as Scorpius Malfoy and Adam Grant Morrison as Albus Potter. <\/p>\n

(Evan Zimmerman)<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u201cHarry Potter and the Cursed Child\u201d<\/a> is on stage through July 25 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Tickets, which start at $49.01, are available at scfta.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Here\u2019s an experience for wannabe mystery solvers: A new interactive dinner theater experience, \u201cThe Speakeasy Murder & Other Acts of Prohibition,\u201d<\/a> has opened at Buena Park\u2019s Pirates Dinner Adventure. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit speakeasymurder.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Until next week,
Carol<\/p>\n

KEEP IN TOUCH
We appreciate your help in making this the best newsletter it can be. Please send news tips, your memories of life in O.C. (photos welcome!) or comments to carol.cormaci@latimes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n