Small city of Redlands pays out millions over shenanigans within the police dept

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2026/07/08/ex-redlands-deputy-police-chief-was-californias-highest-city-earner-in-2025-but-didnt-work-a-day/

A former deputy chief for the Redlands Police Department was the highest paid city employee in California in 2025, yet never worked a day that year and retired four months into it.

State Controller’s Office records released on June 30 show Travis Martinez received $1.2 million in total wages in 2025, including $890,467 in “other pay” and $231,099 in lump-sum compensation, in addition to $81,804 in regular salary. The city also contributed $55,864 toward his retirement and health benefits, bringing his total compensation package to roughly $1.26 million.

Martinez had been on paid leave for 18 months prior to this retirement in April 2025 — after he signed a settlement agreement to retire within 10 days and collect roughly $872,000 from Redlands in exchange for dropping a claim he filed against the city in June 2023.

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Reiss retired on March 4, 2023, amid allegations he preyed upon, groomed and sexually harassed several department employees over several years. Two days before he retired, then-Police Chief Chris Catren abruptly retired, citing a work-related back injury. He denied his retirement was in any way connected to the sexual misconduct scandal.

The city has paid out more than $3.3 million to settle sexual harassment lawsuits against Reiss filed by four current and former employees in the past three years, the latest being a $475,000 settlement approved by the City Council on June 2 to settle a lawsuit filed by former forensic specialist Geneva Holzer. The settlement was contingent upon Holzer agreeing to resign and withdraw her lawsuit.