Police to Bill Knott’s for Controlling Near-Riot

Knott’s Berry Farm will receive a $13,000 bill next week from Buena Park police officials, who have tallied up their tab for quelling thousands of rowdy teenagers who skipped school for a Cinco de Mayo promotion at the park.

The amount covers the cost of 69 officers who were sent to the near-riot on the morning of May 5, as well as overtime for the half-dozen officers who had to be called in to help, Buena Park Police Chief Richard M. Tefank said Tuesday.

Trouble outside the park started about 10 a.m., when officials closed the gates because 33,000 visitors had already been admitted. That left about 4,000 frustrated teenagers milling about in front, angry that they could not take advantage of the event’s 5-cent admission price.

While police had gained control of the scene by 1 p.m., officers did not leave the park until shortly before 7 p.m., Tefank said.

The $13,000 cost “is consistent with the number of officers deployed for that amount of time,” he said.

Twenty other Orange County law enforcement agencies also responded to the scene, sending a total of 251 backup officers who were already on duty within their own departments. Because they were helping Buena Park in a mutual aid agreement, and because no additional costs were incurred as a result, those agencies are not seeking reimbursement for their services, officials said. About 100 of the officers who arrived from other cities were sent back when it was found they were not needed.

Apologetic Knott’s officials have said they expect to pay for the police presence, and Tefank said he and other city officials will meet next week with the park’s manager to discuss the matter. Jack Falfas, general manager of Knott’s, was out of town Tuesday and not available for comment.

The disturbance forced the early closure of one of Southern California’s largest amusement parks after a surge of traffic nearly shut down the Santa Ana and Riverside freeways during the morning commute. Several businesses closed their doors during the fracas, which sparked scattered violence and concluded with at least six arrests. A park spokesman would not release the exact number of employees who were working that day but said it was “in the thousands.”

The Cinco de Mayo celebration was designed to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of Buena Park and was publicized on a popular radio station. Officials said $10,333 was raised in gate receipts and visitor donations. But the event also resulted in mass absenteeism in several school districts, and educators criticized the timing. Some school officials had asked park managers beforehand to postpone the promotion until after school hours.

After the disturbance, the park’s general manager vowed to be more aware of the truancy issue when scheduling future events. Schools did not lose state money because the state does not count attendance after April 15 in figuring average daily attendance.