A California police division has launched an investigation into its personal officers who have been filmed blaring copyrighted Disney music in makes an attempt to forestall residents from recording them.

The incident in query occurred throughout a automobile search on the evening of 4 April, when residents in Santa Ana, a metropolis close to Los Angeles, woke as much as a collection of Disney songs being blasted exterior their home windows. The songs included Toy Story’s You Received a Pal in Me, Encanto’s We Don’t Speak About Bruno, Mulan’s Reflection and Coco’s Un Poco Loco.

In keeping with a video posted on YouTube, the songs emerged from a police cruiser that belonged to cops who have been investigating a stolen automobile.

Within the video, a girl will be heard asking the officers, “What’s the music for?,” saying that she was unable to sleep.

Johnathan Hernandez, a Santa Ana metropolis councilman, is later seen within the video, asking the cops, “Guys, what’s happening with the music right here?”

An unnamed officer advised Hernandez that he was taking part in the music from his cellphone and on the cruiser’s PA system in an try to forestall a resident, who was recording him, from persevering with to take action. The officer defined that it needed to do with “copyright infringement.”

Hernandez went on to ask the officer if he knew who he was, to which he replied, “You’re a metropolis councilperson.”

“Completely … and that is my district. You’re not going to conduct your self like that in entrance of my neighbors,” Hernandez will be heard saying.

The officer then apologized repeatedly to Hernandez and to the person filming the incident.

“My individuals reside right here, brother. Please deal with them with respect … There’s youngsters that must go to high school. There’s individuals which are working. You selected to make use of our taxpayer {dollars} to disrespect a person along with your music. That’s infantile, sir,” Hernandez advised the officer.

In a press release to the Washington Submit, Hernandez defined that his neighbors have been afraid and confused by the habits. He added that he discovered it ironic that the police have been taking part in songs from Encanto and Coco in a largely Latino neighborhood.


“These have been movies that have been used to bridge the Latino neighborhood,” stated Hernandez, “and police are utilizing them to silence it.”

The Santa Ana police division has responded to the incident, saying that it’s investigating the officers concerned.

“We’re dedicated to serving our neighborhood and we perceive the issues because it pertains to the video. The Santa Ana police division takes significantly all complaints relating to the service supplied by the division and the conduct of its staff. Our division is dedicated to conducting full, thorough, and goal investigations,” it stated.

The incident displays an apparently rising pattern during which cops play copyrighted music with a view to stop movies of them from being posted on to social media platforms corresponding to YouTube and Instagram, which may take away content material that features unauthorized content material.

Final July, a police officer in Oakland, California was filmed blasting Taylor Swift’s Clean House as he was confronted by a number of activists on the steps of a courthouse.

Equally, in February final 12 months, a person who filmed his go to to the Beverly Hills Police Station, the place he sought to acquire physique digital camera footage, encountered an officer who started taking part in Chic’s Santeria.