A Wary California Grows Even Warier

As bombs fell on Afghanistan, Californians braced for retaliation 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 that the state held many targets. That has led to tighter security not only at government and military centers, but also at the state’s massive public works projects, tourist attractions and 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 contaminate the water supply. Cruise ships entering Los Angeles Harbor are escorted by Coast Guard cutters to protect them from terrorist takeovers.

At the San Onofre nuclear power plant in San Diego County, guards have been carrying semiautomatic weapons while patrolling the perimeter, hallways and control room since Sept. 11. And visitors to Sea World face a tougher bag inspection than at some airports.

Many of those who beefed up security said their plans have not changed since the allied airstrikes began 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 started.

“We anticipated there would be some attacks responding from our side. We started doing a number of things three weeks ago,” he said.

The Los Angeles Police Department declared a tactical alert at 10 a.m. Sunday. That means officers work longer shifts to increase the number of police on duty.

The department was also on tactical alert from Sept. 11 to Sept. 17.

The city’s Emergency Operations Center was opened Sunday and will be staffed at least through Saturday. The facility, in the basement of City Hall East, serves as a central gathering point during crises for numerous city departments.

Streets around City Hall were closed to cars Monday. Police initially asked pedestrians for identification at the concrete barricades and even inspected pizza delivery boxes, but the inspections stopped by afternoon.

Beyond the deployment of planes and security guards, officials said individuals should be a first line of defense.

“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.

*

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