Man with a a loaded gun arrested at Disneyland

[ddwlms]

Not only are plain clothes security everywhere, they are watching and profiling all visitors. A guy I used to work with was stopped because he apparently fit the profile of a child abductor. True story. They separated him from his daughter and questioned her intensively, all based solely on his appearance. (In this event, he ended up filing a complaint and received an apology.)

 

[BostonJP]

Not only are plain clothes security everywhere, they are watching and profiling all visitors. A guy I used to work with was stopped because he apparently fit the profile of a child abductor. True story. They separated him from his daughter and questioned her intensively, all based solely on his appearance. (In this event, he ended up filing a complaint and received an apology.)

This is interesting, and reminds me of a story I read on another Disney themed message board. I think this happened on a Disney cruise if I'm not mistaken- a man was approached by several employees and questioned intensively when he was taking photographs of his adopted daughters. They were clearly not biologically related so it set off some red flags.

This story and yours are obvious nuisances but at the same time it's reassuring to know that all guest behavior is being watched closely.

 

[MillauFr]

In all due respect, metal detectors are much more efficient that a cursory bag search at the gate, even if they are not fool proof. No one is paranoid, until the unthinkable happens... and then it's too late

How would they deal with all the metal strollers going through metal detectors? The backups would be enormous.

 

[wdwrich]

How would they deal with all the metal strollers going through metal detectors? The backups would be enormous.

The same way they do at airports- manually search the stroller off to the side.

 

[Sherry E]

I moved this over to the Disneyland Community Forum, as it doesn't have much to do with planning Disneyland trips (which is what the main DLR forum is for).

 

[tarheelalum]

You are far more likely to die on the 5 freeway driving to DL than at DL by some nut jobs with guns. Could it happen, yes. Is it likely to happen, no. Mass killings and terrorist attacks are very rare. The media loves to play them up because it gets them ratings but you are more likely to win a lottery than to get killed in an active shooter situation. Disney could do more to make things safer but adding a bigger show at baggage check is not it. That is window dressing. DL probably could use more highly trained eyes and ears onsite and they could do it on the cheap. Just let off duty SoCal cops, deputy sheriffs and federal agents in for free everyday. Have a muster with all of the various LEOs and give them a run down of what they expect and have gun lockers for everyone to check their weapon. Send them out into the parks with their families to have a good time and to be on the look out for anything that does not sit right with them. Have the LEOs call or text the DL staff with anything of interest or anyone who needs to be watched. That would give you probably at least an extra 100 trained eyes and ears per day on the cheap and it really would make DL a safer place. And they could start tomorrow.

 

[Comicbookmommy]

Related, here's a stabbing that occurred the other day between two homeless men at the bus stop right across the street from the entrance to Disneyland LINK

I realize this would be outside Disneyland security area (or is it? Do they patrol around the entrance?) But still frightening to me. Families saw it and everything.

 

[wdwrich]

Related, here's a stabbing that occurred the other day between two homeless men at the bus stop right across the street from the entrance to Disneyland LINK

I realize this would be outside Disneyland security area (or is it? Do they patrol around the entrance?) But still frightening to me. Families saw it and everything.

Not only was it outside the Disney security bubble, it was across the street and off Disney property.

 

[T0rrent]

In all due respect, metal detectors are much more efficient that a cursory bag search at the gate, even if they are not fool proof. No one is paranoid, until the unthinkable happens... and then it's too late

That's all completely dependent on how well they do the bag check. It's actually quite easy to get a weapon past a metal detector, especially if the detector isn't set to a high sensitivity or has a worn out part. As a civilian who used to work in law enforcement, I've seen quite the variety of weapons that got past a metal detector.

 

[bethwc101]

My fiance and I had gone to disneyland a few months ago and he always carries a pocket knife with him. And on this particular disneyland day he had forgotten to take it out of his pocket. We walked through security no problems. We got just up to the turnstile when a gentleman asked what he had in his pocket. He looked down and realized he had his knife with him as i hung my head and tried not to laugh. They politely asked him to return it to his hotel. they watched him all the way off disney property. At one point he started to run so he could get back quicker and I heard one of the security guys report on him telling the other security officers to watch the "suspicious tall gentleman diverting to ticket booth three" They definitly caught him but it was not in the security check. He was completly harmelss but it does show how useless the security check is. We came back in a half hour later and they watched us for a good hour or so inside the park.

 

[BostonJP]

Oh boy, I can't believe this! If Disney really covered up something like this maybe I should re think our 2016 trip!

Please don't let these sensationalist bloggers scare you. This is just another "felon with a gun" story which is unfortunately extremely common in the Los Angeles area; usually it's a complete non-story except that in this case it happened near Disneyland.

 

[VandVsmama]

My fiance and I had gone to disneyland a few months ago and he always carries a pocket knife with him. And on this particular disneyland day he had forgotten to take it out of his pocket. We walked through security no problems. We got just up to the turnstile when a gentleman asked what he had in his pocket. He looked down and realized he had his knife with him as i hung my head and tried not to laugh. They politely asked him to return it to his hotel. they watched him all the way off disney property. At one point he started to run so he could get back quicker and I heard one of the security guys report on him telling the other security officers to watch the "suspicious tall gentleman diverting to ticket booth three" They definitly caught him but it was not in the security check. He was completly harmelss but it does show how useless the security check is. We came back in a half hour later and they watched us for a good hour or so inside the park.

But here's the thing...the bag check was useful from the perspective of it gave the non-bag-check security personnel the opportunity to watch everything else OTHER than your bags. And THAT is probably why they asked about what he had in his pocket.

It's similar to the technique that my college professor talked about that's used at the Tel Aviv airport in Israel....you arrive to the airport 4 hours before your departure time. And you open ALL of your luggage so security can rummage through your bags & ask you questions. In the meantime, there's another security person upstairs behind sound-proof glass who is watching everything you're doing. But they can't hear what you're saying. Their job is solely to watch your body language. Then Security Person #1 consults with Security Person #2 to decide if you're telling the truth...meanwhile, security person #3 arrives in front of you to start asking you the same questions all over again. When they're all done and have decided that you're telling the truth and you're harmless, you get to repack your bag.