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MONDAY, AUGUST 03-AUGUST 09, 2026
Ontario ordinance addresses workforce safety issues for growing hospitality industry By Joe Taglieri
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ollowing the approval of an ordinance earlier this year establishing workplace safety rules for hotels, Ontario city officials are continuing an outreach campaign to inform hospitality businesses of the new regulations. The Ontario City Council adopted Ordinance No. 3326 in January establishing new hotel employee safety regulations aimed at strengthening workplace safety standards across the city’s hospitality industry. The ordinance regulates the use of employee safety devices as well as workplace training and hotel safety protocols intended to support hospitality employees who work in Ontario’s growing hotel and tourism sectors. The new law provides workplace protections for employees who work alone in guest rooms or public restrooms. It specifically confirms that employees have the right to receive a personal safety device such as “panic button” mechanisms that instantly report an their location to security personnel and enable emergency communication. The ordinance additionally confirms that hotel employees have the right to report threatening or violent behavior, contact law enforcement, leave an unsafe work area while waiting for assistance and report safety concerns without retaliation from management. Hotel operators are required to provide personal safety devices to employees who may work by themselves in guest rooms or public bathrooms, post required employee notices, provide written information about the new law to employees, maintain emergency response procedures and designate trained
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New city of Riverside ordinance requires advance notice before dropping off unhoused persons within city limits By Staff
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iverside now requires advanced notice from organizations that plan to transport an unhoused person into the city so that necessary arrangements can be made before someone is dropped off, not after, city officials said Tuesday. The new ordinance applies to organizations transporting into the city any individual who lacks a regular and “adequate” night-time residence, according to the city’s announcement of the new policy. The measure is designed to ensure continuity of care, protect public health and safety while managing limited municipal resources.
First time offenders will receive a warning, and second time offenders will receive an administrative citation that could include an administrative hearing with appeal procedures. The city would retain the right to pursue civil remedies to collect unpaid administrative fines. The written notice may be submitted through a form on the city’s website. Once completed, the form will provide notification to the city manager’s office and the director of housing and human services. Notifications must be received at least 24 hours prior to the
See Homeless ordinance Page 27 A hotel room in Ontario. | Photo courtesy of Hyatt Place Ontario/Rancho Cucamonga/Facebook
security responders. “Hotels shall designate security personnel or on duty managers as being responsible for responding to personal safety device alerts,” according to Ordinance No. 3326. “Such individuals should receive a minimum of two hours of training on the Hotel’ s procedures for response, the functioning and operation of the personal safety devices and employee rights. ... The Hotel shall have at least one such designated and trained individual on duty at all times.” According to the city, employes “covered” by the ordinance’s regulations who “report threatening or violent conduct by a guest may request to be reassigned away from that guest, and the hotel employer must honor that request. Employees must also be allowed sufficient time to contact law enforce-
ment and participate in any resulting investigation,” officials reported. “Hotel employers are required to cooperate with law enforcement during any investigation.” The law also requires hotels to allow housekeeping staff to leave room doors open during cleaning work. With major investments underway across the city, including new entertainment venues, tourism activity, and hospitality development, local elected officials and members of the business community say the effort reflects the city’s continued evolution as a regional destination. “Ontario’s hospitality industry is growing quickly, and the people working in that industry are a big part of what shapes the experience visitors have in See Hotel workers Page 27
our city,” Mayor Paul Leon said in a statement. “As we continue to grow as a destination for entertainment and tourism, we want to make sure we’re supporting a safe and professional environment for our hospitality workforce.” Currently the city has about 5,575 hotel rooms, with an additional 1,200 rooms expected in the coming years as new hotel building projects move forward. Upcoming hotel developments include the 124-room Hilton Hampton Inn and the 256-room Hyatt Place/Hyatt House, both expected to open this summer. Also breaking ground this summer is the 230-room dual-branded Aloft-Residence Inn hotel project adjacent to the ONT Field baseball stadium and the Ontario Sports Empire,
Report: Auto thefts throughout Riverside County plummet 21% By City News Service
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he number of automobile thefts throughout Riverside County plummeted 21% last year, while the county sheriff’s department ranked in the top five statewide among agencies that successfully recovered stolen vehicles, according to statistics released by the California Highway Patrol. The number of countywide auto thefts reported in 2025 totaled 6,012, compared to 7,648 in 2024, the CHP said Tuesday in its annual publication of “Cali-
See Auto thefts Page 02
fornia Vehicle Theft Facts.” “Vehicle theft is not a victim-less crime,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said. “It fuels organized criminal activity and creates hardship for families across California. The CHP remains committed to holding offenders accountable, recovering stolen vehicles and working with our law enforcement partners to make our communities safer.” The local decline dovetailed with downward trends across California, where the total theft count last