Security Breaches

[History Buff]

With all the talk of wanting to move to the City or spend a night there, how is the security?  I don't mean I want to know how to break in or anything, but I remember when I was a kid even wondering if there was a fence around the park (since you often can't tell through the trees).  Have there been people who have tried to sneak onto the property after hours?  How often does that happen?

[Junior]

Security is pretty good. One of the guys that was an attractions manager at the time I worked there, Alan Beisswenger, moved on into security and now is a boss there. They don't have too much trouble from people during the day, cause if you are at SDC you are there to have fun with your family. But, if someone gets out of hand, they are escorted off park. As far as people sneaking on to the property...I never heard or saw anything like that. It would not be a good idea to do that. If you wander into the wrong area you could get hurt, and even if you didn't, it's not smart to tresspass. In addition to security all over the place, they have maintenance people and night crews all over the park that are getting things ready and supplied for the next day. If someone was "out of place" on park at night...it would be very obvious. It's a small group of people that are "citizens" at SDC, and if someone is roaming around that does not belong there, well, they will eventually be picked up, escorted off the property, and possibly to jail. REAL JAIL, not the one next to the ice cream parlor!

[rubedugans]

I am thinking it would ruin your chances of entering the park again legally for some time. I would never try it, and I have been known to enter some pretty secure locations. SDC is not one that I would risk losing!

[KBCraig]

I assume that SDC, like all attractions and businesses, has closed circuit TV systems, but I've never seen any cameras. They must be pretty well themed.

[Junior]

THey probably have the closed circuit security more now than when I worked there. There were only a few locations during my time. I don't know about today. I only know that it would not be a wise thing to trespass or to attempt to do something you are not supposed to do there...they'll get you eventually...and then you might as well  forget about ever going back again.

[rubedugans]

Security Breaches are at SDC all the time. I have been looking, and have finally found a photo one.They are fairly common at SDC and are there everyday. I know you had to have seen them if you have been in the park.

[Junior]

Ha!

[History Buff]

I believe those are breeches - or as we say, britches - and not breaches.  Subtle.  I figured someone would get smart with that one.

[rubedugans]

ARe you cAlLin' me SmarT? I figured I had to beat someone to it! On another web site they talked of ways people have snuck into SDC. Some got a little adventerous, others were downright dumb and uncalled for. Needless to say I have entered through the front gates everytime, and I will until the day comes that I can use the employee entrance in the back!

[Zephon]

Shoplifting is a much bigger problem.  Practically every day.  I do not believe they charge people they catch (I really don't know), but they do escort them off the park.

[rubedugans]

Same at SF StL. which attracts hoards of teens with sticky fingers. I have seen people get caught and be escorted out  when we go with students on field trips, we tell all students and parents (we take 400 kids) parents are going to come and bail them out of security, not the teachers. We have never (knocking on wood) had problems with stealing on our trips. I would not want to be a worker trying to watch the items though...

[History Buff]

Shoplifting is a much bigger problem.  Practically every day.  I do not believe they charge people they catch (I really don't know), but they do escort them off the park.

I would think the loss of admission to the park would be a pretty good punishment for a swiped t-shirt or shot glass, but if the item was more valuable I would hope there would be some charges filed.

What other issues have occurred?  Anyone seen fighting or something else?

[Junior]

The most "heroic" thing I saw was in the 78 season on Main St. A man began choking on food he was eating. I was a 15 year old kid, and had no idea what to do. I was passing by when the guy started choking. Another guest suddenly rushed up behind him, gave him a quick "Heimlick Manuever" and he spit out the chunk of food...then gasped a few times and was fine!
-
The stupidest thing I saw was in the 79 season at the float trip. The boats were stopped by a mechanical arm at "echo rock" so folks could shout a time or two and hear the echo, then the mechanical arm would let the boats go. Well, the arm got stuck in the "shut" mode, backing up several boat loads of people. I was alone at the ride at the time, loading and dispatching. I ran around to the edge of the channel and told the folks in the boats to stay put, I'd get someone to help. I  no more than made it to the  phone at the dispatch stand when I began seeing people walking out of the woods and back to the pathway to the exit. They had been climbing out of the boats, climbing up onto the "rocks" some nine to twelve feet, and pulling themselves out of the top of the channel. Then walked out of the woods. I shudder to think what would have happened if even one of the guests would have fallen that nine to twelve feet and struck their head, or broken a bone. It really could have been a bad scene. I think the good man above was watching over everyone that day! It still angers me that they could not be patient for a few minutes until I could call maintenance to the scene. People sometimes do very stupid things. Doing stupid things on vacation sometimes means trips to the hospital or worse.

[Junior]

Another weird thing from the 1981 season...one of the Juniors was doing his full "crazy hillbilly act" while on the streets one day around the duplicating lathe on Hill Street, and approached a woman and man. The Junior, trying to be funny, made some comments that were taken wrong by her husband...the husband was apparently from another country and did not understand English well, and did not understand that Junior was just trying to be entertaining and funny...the man punched ole Junior in the mouth, and stalked off with his wife. The man complained, I think Security got involved. Junior got a stern "talking to" from his area manager for taking the stupid hillbilly act too far, and that was the end of it. Well, until later on...that particular Junior made some stupid comments in front of guests later in the 1981 season while throwing a fit about something at work. Another formal complaint was filed. This time Junior got called into the managers office, and after another "talking to" he was fired! I knew this guy, and witnessed the "rant" that led to his firing. He was wrong to behave that way.He was a good guy, and a good employee, overall...he just didn't know when to cool it down and keep his mouth shut...he was 19 years old and a bit immature. That's all. (Heck, I was too, at times!) Anyway, he landed a short time later in California and worked for a time for Disneyland. Don't really know what he's up to now, but in 2007 when I visited with a friend who still works on park he told me that Junior paid a visit to SDC, and was still acting in an immature way, being a bit too loud and mouthy...unfortunately he was in his mid 40's at the time!!! God bless that ole Junior, anyway! I wish him well. We went to high school together, too.

[betamike]

Working both at SDC and now at WDW in Florida, I can tell you that you'd be surprised at how little security systems there actually are.  In Florida, we have such things as "Foxes" that inhabit the park and notice lots of behaviors.  I would assume the citizens inside the shops act as their own security or maybe the city employees a similar program that we do.