L.A.’s Counter-Terrorism Team May Get Permanent Status

Warning that Los Angeles remains a prime target for terrorists, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced an initiative Thursday to permanently fund expanded counter-terrorism and disaster response units in the police and fire departments.

The proposal would assign four LAPD anti-terrorism officers to a new “intelligence fusion center,” to be staffed by federal, state and local law enforcement officers in Norwalk in the next few weeks, according to Police Chief William J. Bratton.

In the facility, called the Joint Regional Intelligence Center, LAPD officers would coordinate intelligence-gathering and analysis with their counterparts in the FBI and other agencies.

Standing with Bratton and Fire Chief William Bamattre, the mayor said he had found $1.6 million in savings that can be used to permanently assign 83 police officers and firefighters to the tasks of preventing and responding to terrorism, and he plans to continue the program in his next budget.

“In the four years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the city of L.A., like all large cities in America, has undergone a transformation in the way we prepare for and guard against terrorist attacks and mass disasters,” Villaraigosa said.

“Through our announcement today, we will ensure that Los Angeles is a world-class model for counter-terrorism and emergency preparedness.”

Bratton said 73 police officers on loan from other assignments to counter-terrorism duty would be permanently assigned to the job of collecting intelligence and developing plans to head off a terrorist attack.

“We intend to staff up our counter-terrorism offices to the degree necessary to ensure that safety the mayor has committed to,” Bratton said.

In addition to creating an LAPD intelligence analysis unit, the new funding will allow Bratton to bolster Operation Archangel, which develops security plans for strategic structures such as power plants and bridges.

The proposal, which requires City Council approval, would also provide a deputy chief to head the LAPD’s existing Counter-Terrorism and Criminal Intelligence Bureau, which is currently overseen by a civilian administrator.

The Fire Department would receive 10 additional firefighters to improve planning for large-scale disasters and to create new units to conduct exercises to improve training for firefighters responding to terrorist attacks.

Council members Jack Weiss, who heads the council’s Public Safety Committee, and Bernard C. Parks, chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, voiced their support for the proposal and said they were confident it would win council approval.

“I can say unequivocally that today’s initiative is the most significant L.A. city investment in counter-terrorism resources since 9/11,” said Weiss, a former federal prosecutor.

Citing a tape by Al Qaeda late last year “specifically naming Los Angeles as a target,” the mayor said there was an urgent need to improve efforts to protect the city from attack.

“As the second-largest city in the nation and home to some of the top terrorist targets, including Los Angeles International Airport and the Port of Los Angeles, we must lead the way in developing innovative strategies for safety and security,” Villaraigosa said.