Oscars: At least 7 arrested in connection with ceremony, LAPD says

At least seven people were arrested in connection with the Academy Awards, Los Angeles police said Monday.

Six of the arrests were for trespassing and one was for public intoxication, said LAPD Officer Sally Madera. The public intoxication arrest involved a person watching the event from Hollywood Boulevard, said Cmdr. Dennis Kato.

Kato, the LAPD’s incident commander for Sunday’s ceremony, said the department’s months of planning paid off. He called the ceremony “an event that all of Los Angeles should be proud of.”

“It went very smoothly,” he said.

The Los Angeles Police Department spend months preparing for the Academy Awards, the most high-profile event it handles all year. Department officials meet with the Academy’s private security, the FBI and various city agencies for scenarios ranging from a terrorist attack to party crashers trying to get into the Dolby Theatre.

“A big event like the Academy Awards could be a high-value target,” Kato told The Times last week. “It’s a big statement because it’s live on national television and there are a number of stars.”

Hundreds of officers are put on Oscars detail, including specialized bomb technicians, hazmat teams and canine units. Authorities gather information about who might show up at the ceremony, combing social media for clues about would-be party crashers or protesters.

Some officers use mirrors to check under limousines. Others go undercover. A few don tuxedos and evening gowns to join the Academy’s private security inside the Dolby.

Kato said police typically make about 10 arrests each year, most of them for trespassing.

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