Those services are funded by landowners within the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, of which Disney is by far the largest taxpayer.
The Reedy Creek cities’ $13.7 million total budget for outside law enforcement services has grown by more than 50% since 2015 and is nearly double the $7 million it allocated for deputies in 2014, records show. That agreement ensures that additional deputies are always available to investigate tourist-related crimes, write speeding tickets and provide support to Disney’s civilian security officers. In addition to hiring deputies who want to earn extra pay during their personal time, the Reedy Creek cities have a separate $8.1 million contract with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. That new budget nearly quadruples the $1.5 million the Disney-controlled government allocated for off-duty deputies annually from 2011 through 2015. The cities of Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake, which are contained within the Reedy Creek Improvement District, have allocated $5.6 million to pay for off-duty deputies throughout the fiscal year that began October 1st. Three months after a gunman murdered 49 people in an Orlando nightclub, the municipalities that provide government services to Disney’s property approved a record-setting budget for hiring off-duty Orange County sheriff’s deputies. Once patrons reached the Magic Kingdom's entrance, even more uniformed deputies looked on as Disney security guards inspected bags and randomly selected visitors to walk through metal detectors.ĭisney officials have not disclosed how many sheriff deputies patrol the 40 square mile entertainment complex each day, and the company did not respond to any questions about law enforcement activities on its property.īut financial records obtained by News 6 suggest an unprecedented expansion of that outside police force is now underway.
– Shortly before visitors arriving at Walt Disney World caught their first glimpse of Cinderella Castle last week, their parking lot tram passed several marked Orange County Sheriff patrol cars.Īs excited park goers stood in line to buy tickets, a pair of Orange County deputies with guns on their belts paced back and forth, surveying the crowds.
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