Scarier Than Usual Holiday

Despite FBI warnings of more terrorist attacks this week, anthrax scares and a heightened police presence, Southern Californians celebrated Halloween, although a bit more cautiously than in the past.

Parents took their kids trick-or-treating, but many limited which candy they could eat. Children attended parties, but many were held in brightly lighted community centers where it was easier for parents to keep an eye on them.

In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Southern California police have increased their presence at large gatherings, including football and basketball games, airports and shopping malls. On Halloween night, police throughout the area beefed up patrols at local amusement parks. All of the Southern California parks, including Disneyland, increased security. And at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, park visitors had to pass through metal detectors.

Joe and Kristina Stolba of Chatsworth took their four children to the Chatsworth Park South Recreation Center Wednesday night, joining about 50 kids and parents munching on candy and playing games.

“We’re careful about where we go,” Kristina Stolba, 33, said. “Instead of being on the streets, we’re here.”

She said she would not allow her four young children to eat any any homemade candy because of the anthrax scare. She allowed only prepackaged goodies.

Jeanne Jung of Sherman Oaks brought 10-year-old Carissa, dressed as a Pink Lady from the movie “Grease,” and 7-year-old Shaina, who had yet to put on her San Francisco 49ers costume on, to the Encino Community Center.

Jung said she would let her daughters go trick-or-treating, but would allow them to eat candy only from neighbors she knew because of the anthrax scare.

“I’m throwing out all the other candy,” she said. “I’m leery of where it comes from.”

Striking a Balance Between Fun, Security

While the suburbs were suffused with a cautious tone, the specter of anthrax and terrorist threats did not inhibit those who gathered for West Hollywood’s annual Halloween bash. More than 150,000 people were expected.

The mostly male revelers wore costumes that ranged from the conventional--vampires and witches--to the outrageous. One man wore a two-piece camouflage suit with a bare midriff and a banner across his chest emblazoned with the words “Miss Afghanistan.” Another wore a giant condom on his head.

Santa Monica Boulevard was blocked off from La Cienega Boulevard to Doheny Drive and there were several stages with live music.

Charles Gannon, 56, a makeup artist, dressed as a gold-colored Statue of Liberty. Gannon said he was worried about attending the Halloween party because of the terrorist threats, “but I said: ‘We can’t do that. Let’s make this a special Halloween.’ ”

Larry Kephart, 51, of Sun Valley, who wore a stuffed monster on his head, said, “[Osama] bin Laden could be around the corner with a ton of anthrax and I’d still be here.”

During past Halloween bashes in West Hollywood, about 100 deputies patrolled the area. This year, however, because of security concerns, there was a “sizable increase,” said Lt. Kathy Pattulo. She said the deputies wanted party-goers to feel safe, but without an obtrusive police presence.

“This has always been a peaceful event,” Pattulo said. “Last year, we didn’t have one arrest. The year before, just one, for being drunk in public. Our main concern is to make the community feel safe.”

In West Hollywood, sheriff’s officials said they were prepared to call the LAPD for reinforcements, as well as officers from nearby cities, if any serious problems arose, Pattulo said. And members of the Sheriff’s Emergency Operations unit can ask federal, county and state agencies for help, if needed.

“But we do a lot of these things whenever we have a special event with big numbers, whether it’s a festival or a high school game between rivals in a gang area,” Deputy Eric Castano said.

A few LAPD divisions beefed up their presence on Halloween night. Foothill Division, for example, added six officers for the evening shift, said Lt. Steven Stein, but two other Valley divisions, Van Nuys and Devonshire, were staffed as usual.

Still, police agreed there was a need to be highly visible because so many children were out trick-or-treating.

“We’re going to run through the neighborhoods more instead of the main streets,” said Sgt. Howard Matthews of the LAPD’s Devonshire Division. “But there’s only so much we can do. We have limited personnel.”