San Clemente Officials Targeted for Recall : Activism: Residents and business owners unhappy with four City Council members’ decision last week to disband the Police Department vow to take action.

Angered by a City Council decision last week to disband the Police Department and contract for services with the Sheriff’s Department, a group of residents and business owners met Thursday night and vowed to recall the four council members who voted for the change.

“The City Council voted that way in spite of broad-based support for the department or putting the issue on the ballot,” said Rob Topolski, a resident and former police dispatcher who organized the meeting. “There are a lot of people who are angry the council decided this for themselves. They feel the council denied them their vote.”

About 50 residents, including a group of business owners who created the “We Support SCPD” committee and raised money for newspaper ads and other materials in support of keeping the department, attended the meeting at the Elks Lodge.

The four council members who will be targeted for recall are Mayor Truman Benedict, Scott Diehl, Joseph Anderson and Candace Haggard.

To force a recall election, the group must collect signatures from 20% of the 21,000 registered voters in San Clemente. In addition to a recall of the four council members who voted in favor of contracting with the Sheriff’s Department, the group also talked about the possibility of seeking a legal injunction or referendum.

After months of emotional debate, the City Council voted 4 to 1 Feb. 17 to disband the 65-year-old Police Department and hire the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. The move could save the financially strapped city about $2 million in the coming fiscal year alone and is expected to increase police patrols in the city of 43,000.

Council members voting in favor of the change said estimated cost savings were too great to ignore, especially since the city is facing a projected shortfall of $6.35 million in the 1993-94 fiscal year. Councilman Thomas Lorch, who attended Thursday’s meeting, cast the lone dissenting vote, saying he wanted to put the issue to a vote, tied to some kind of funding mechanism, such as a property tax override.

A final contract from the Sheriff’s Department will be ready for council approval in 75 to 90 days. Officials set a target date of July 1 for the change in police power.