LAPD out in force before World Series finale to deter unruly fans, respond to trouble
As cars wound through Elysian Park on Wednesday afternoon heading for Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles police officers prepared for the World Series finale at a nearby command post.
Undercover officers walked through the parking lot, their badges hanging around their necks. Uniformed officers chatted in the shade. Deputy Chief Robert Arcos stood in front of a line of television cameras, outlining how the Los Angeles Police Department would respond.
For the record:
11:20 a.m. Nov. 2, 2017An earlier version of this article referred to events taking place around Dodger Stadium on Thursday afternoon. They occurred on Wednesday afternoon.
Police are ready, he said, for “any type of event at Dodger Stadium.”
The LAPD is keeping a close eye on areas beyond Dodger Stadium for any celebrations that could become rowdy, Arcos said. Officers are walking through downtown’s L.A. Live and will also patrol near popular bars along Sunset Boulevard near the stadium.
L.A. has seen violent celebrations of sports victories in years past.
When the Lakers won the NBA Finals in 2010, unruly revelers jumped on vehicles, broke windows, hurled bottles and set small fires in downtown Los Angeles. Fights broke out. A taxicab was engulfed in flames. Police responded with less-lethal rounds.
The Lakers’ victory the year before was also met with looting and vandalism.
Arcos said the LAPD has learned to be more proactive in its response. If it becomes obvious the Dodgers will win, he said, fans watching the game at local bars may see more officers outside in hopes of deterring problematic celebrating.
“We certainly will support celebrations that are responsible,” he said. “Celebrations that become unruly and criminal in nature, we’re going to respond to.”
So far, Arcos said, the biggest issues have been alcohol-related incidents inside the stadium and the traffic surrounding it.
Because it’s the final game of the series, Arcos said, fans going to the stadium can expect a bigger police presence for Game 7 than during Tuesday’s game. Officers in uniform will greet them at the gates. Undercover officers will be stationed inside and outside the gates. The bomb squad will be on standby.
Arcos stressed that the “very heavy deployment of resources” was planned and not necessarily a response to what officials have called a terrorist attack in Lower Manhattan, where a man plowed a truck through a bike path Tuesday, killing at least eight people.
There is no known threat to the World Series game or the city of L.A., Arcos said. But, he said, officials at the command post are in close contact with the LAPD’s counter-terrorism bureau. FBI officials are also at the post to provide extra resources, he said, along with agencies such as the Fire Department and California Highway Patrol.
“We’re fully prepared to respond to anything that does happen here,” said Phillip Fligiel, a deputy fire chief.
There is also at least one television inside the command post that will be tuned to the game. Arcos said he’ll keep an eye on the score to try to gauge how fans might react later.
Close games, he added, are more stressful because it’s harder to tell.
He’s hoping for a blowout — and a Dodgers win.
UPDATES:
4:35 p.m.: This story was updated with details from past sporting events in L.A.
This story was originally published at 4 p.m.
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