ENCINO : Police Say They’re Prepared for Unrest

This time, police will be ready for any civil unrest after the verdict in the second Rodney G. King beating case, the Valley’s top law enforcement officer told a group of Encino residents.

“You’re going to see more cops than you ever dreamed possible,” said Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Mark A. Kroeker, speaking at a riot-preparedness meeting of the Homeowners of Encino. “We’re going to make sure every corner of the San Fernando Valley is well-protected.”

Kroeker said that could mean putting up to 1,200 police officers on the streets.

“They’re going to be fully deployed right here in the San Fernando Valley, just a pulse beat away from your 911 call,” Kroeker told 60 residents Tuesday night.

Kroeker also quashed rumors raised earlier in the meeting of a gang-led rampage down Ventura Boulevard. “Rumors, that’s all they are,” he said. “I am very optimistic that we’re going to get through this thing.”

Besides Kroeker, representatives of the National Guard and the California Emergency Mobile Patrol reassured residents that their respective agencies are prepared if the verdict spawns a violent reaction.

Russ Garner, a captain in the National Guard, guaranteed deployment within 12 hours of being called. He said that during a February training maneuver, 500 soldiers were deployed in six hours.

“The system has been tested. The fixes are in place,” Garner said.