Police Now at Disneyland Full Time, Theme Park Says

Disneyland officials announced Thursday that they have begun allowing Anaheim police officers to be stationed full time in the theme park and would support legislation to regulate amusement parks.

Word of the measures, the park’s response to the December accident that killed a Washington state man, came during a wide-ranging discussion by Walt Disney Attractions President Paul Pressler and other company officials during a meeting with Times reporters and editors.

However, neither Pressler nor other Disneyland spokesmen would give details about what kinds of safety rules they would back, or whether they would agree to state inspections of their rides, as 40 other states do. Nor would they give figures about how many park-goers are injured on Disneyland rides or say what their investigation has found about the Dec. 24 accident at the sailing ship Columbia.

“In all candor, as a result of the accident, we are just deploying as much resources as we can” to ensure future safety at the park, Pressler said. “It’s not that we believe things are wrong, but you can never be too safe in this business.”

Starting Thursday, a uniformed Anaheim police officer has been stationed at Disneyland during operating hours, paid for by the park. Until then, officers were at the park only during peak tourist times.

In addition, all serious injuries will be reported to the police, along with the names of all witnesses to such incidents, Pressler said. The park also will no longer clean up the sites of serious injuries until the police give their approval.

Disneyland came under harsh criticism after the accident for immediately cleaning up the scene and moving evidence. Questions also were raised about why Anaheim police detectives interviewed no eyewitnesses except Disney employees and waited in a Disneyland security office for hours before going out to the scene.

The police officers patrolling Disneyland will have radios to monitor park security frequencies, Pressler said. Such arrangements are in place at some other amusement parks, such as Universal Studios.

Pressler said Disney officials have met recently with state Assemblyman Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) about drawing up legislation to regulate rides. California law now requires state inspections only of mobile carnival rides, not fixed amusement park attractions.

Torlakson, whose previous legislation calling for such regulation died last year, has been looking to drum up support for a new bill.