Closed-Door Vote, Million-Dollar Cop Payday

Back view of a police officer in uniform at a public event

A former California police deputy chief collected $1.2 million in 2025 — and didn’t work a single day to earn it.

Story Snapshot

Travis Martinez, ex-deputy chief of the Redlands Police Department, topped California’s city payroll in 2025 with $1.2 million in total compensation while on paid leave.
The city of Redlands paid Martinez an $871,956 whistleblower settlement after he claimed he was punished for trying to expose misconduct by a superior officer.
Martinez spent 18 months on paid administrative leave before retiring in 2025 — never returning to active duty.
Redlands has now paid more than $4 million to settle multiple lawsuits tied to alleged misconduct by former Deputy Chief Michael Reiss.

A $1.2 Million Payday for Not Showing Up

State Controller’s Office payroll records show Travis Martinez received $81,804 in regular pay, $890,467 in other pay, and $231,099 in a lump-sum payment in 2025 — all while on paid administrative leave. That made him the highest-paid city employee in California that year. He retired in April 2025 without working a single day during that final stretch of his career.

Martinez had been placed on paid leave roughly 18 months before his retirement. The city of Redlands then approved an $871,956 settlement to resolve his whistleblower lawsuit. The deal required him to retire and drop his legal claim. The City Council approved it in a 3-2 vote during a closed session, meaning the public never got to see the evidence or the reasoning behind the payout.

Whistleblower Claim at the Center of the Payout

Martinez alleged he faced retaliation after trying to investigate misconduct by former Deputy Chief Michael Reiss. He filed a formal government claim in 2023. The city settled rather than fight the case in court. No public documents detail the specific acts of retaliation Martinez alleged, and the closed-session vote kept the evidentiary basis hidden from taxpayers.

Reiss has become a costly figure for Redlands. The city has paid out more than $4 million total to settle lawsuits tied to allegations against him — including claims of sexual harassment, hostile work environment, and retaliation. A separate $1.2 million settlement went to former Community Service Officer Julie Alvarado-Salcido for a sexual misconduct and retaliation claim. Another $475,000 went to settle a lawsuit by forensic specialist Geneva Holzer.

Taxpayers Left Holding the Bill — and the Questions

This is exactly the kind of government waste that frustrates hardworking Americans. A public employee collects over a million dollars for not working, the vote to approve it happens behind closed doors, and residents have no way to know if the payout was justified. California’s government keeps spending — and keeps hiding how it spends — while ordinary people foot the bill.

Redlands PD Deputy Chief Travis Martinez got put on 18 months *paid* leave after he supposedly raised concerns about cover-ups & sexual misconduct among his fellow cops. It looks like city leaders & cops are basically giving him a big payout in exchange for him shutting up. https://t.co/EBD4TaO2jH

— Ash J (@AshAgony) July 9, 2026

To be fair, whistleblower protections exist for a reason. If Martinez genuinely tried to expose real misconduct and was punished for it, the law gives him the right to seek damages. But the lack of transparency makes it impossible for the public to judge whether nearly $900,000 — on top of 18 months of paid leave — was a fair resolution or a sweetheart deal. Redlands owes its residents a straight answer, and a 3-2 closed-door vote doesn’t come close to providing one.