State Maintains Focus on Security

As bombs fell on Afghanistan, Californians braced for retaliation on Monday, with guards in the air, on the land and at sea watching for terrorists.

Much of the increased security, however, began after the Sept. 11 attacks and was in place before the U.S. airstrikes Sunday and Monday.

In the weeks since planes crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Californians have presumed the state holds many targets. That has led to tighter security at government and military centers, the state’s massive public works projects, tourist attractions and at prominent businesses such as film studios.

California Highway Patrol airplanes now fly over the 223-mile Los Angeles Aqueduct, on the lookout for anyone who might attempt to taint the water supply. Cruise ships entering Los Angeles Harbor are now escorted by Coast Guard cutters. And visitors to Sea World face a more rigorous bag inspection than at some airports.

Many of those in charge of security said their plans did not change following the U.S. bombing runs, because the military action was expected.

Roy Rawlings, a Southern California Gas Co. vice president, said his company began adding guards--especially at sites with above-ground gas lines--well before the U.S. military response. “We anticipated there would be some attacks responding from our side. We started doing a number of things three weeks ago,” he said.

In Ventura County, the U.S. Naval Air Station at Point Mugu remained at the same level of alert it has maintained since the terrorist attacks.

The U.S. Coast Guard station in Oxnard, near the naval installations at Point Mugu, has been doing 24-hour patrols since the attacks. Those patrols increased after the bombing of Afghanistan on Sunday, military officials said.

“We are looking where the threats are and putting our resources there,” said Lt. Rich Molloy, a Coast Guard spokesman based in Long Beach. “We have more people and more boats in the water.”

The Coast Guard is experimenting with a program to put armed “sea marshals” on tankers and cruise ships coming in and out of ports.

It began in San Francisco and is being done in San Diego and to a limited extent in Los Angeles, Molloy said.

Molloy said Coast Guard personnel will carry 9-millimeter pistols and maybe shotguns to protect against terrorist attacks on the high seas. He did not know if sea marshals would be placed on ships in Ventura County.

Meanwhile, members of the California Army National Guard in Oxnard were preparing Monday for possible deployment.

In Los Angeles, the LAPD declared a tactical alert at 10 a.m. Sunday. During an alert, officers work longer shifts to increase the number on duty.

The Los Angeles Police Department had been on tactical alert from Sept. 11 to 17.

The city’s emergency operations center was also opened Sunday, and will be staffed at least through Saturday. The center, located in the basement of City Hall East, serves as a central gathering point during crises for numerous city departments.

Streets surrounding City Hall were closed to cars Monday. At first, police were asking pedestrians for identification at the concrete barricades, and were even inspecting pizza delivery boxes, but the inspections stopped by the afternoon.

Beyond the deployment of planes and security guards, officials said individuals should be on the alert.

“It’s really important for people to remain aware of their surroundings, but not be immobilized by anxiety. They should be more vigilant. If you see something out of place, call in and we will mobilize our resources,” said LAPD spokesman Lt. Horace Frank.

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Times staff writers David Kelly, Jill Leovy, Matea Gold, Christine Hanley, Seema Mehta and Janet Wilson contributed to this report.