Guard to Quit Bridge Duty Except at Golden Gate
Armed California National Guard troops, a familiar sight on the state’s major bridges since a terrorist threat in November, will be pulled off all but the Golden Gate Bridge by the end of the month, Gov. Gray Davis announced Wednesday.
The governor said the National Guard will continue anti-terrorism duty on the Golden Gate Bridge because it is a national treasure, but security will be reevaluated in the coming months.
The National Guard will be replaced by local law enforcement agencies and the Highway Patrol at the Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles, the Coronado Bridge in San Diego and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
Davis ordered the National Guard to protect the four bridges on Nov. 2 after federal agencies relayed terrorist threats, which later were deemed not credible. Some politicians criticized Davis for alarming the public, while others defended him.
Capt. Denise Varner, a National Guard spokeswoman, said about 100 soldiers were deployed on the bridges.
The National Guard also was sent to major airports for security duty but the troops were removed earlier this month. About 800 soldiers were used.
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