No Surprise, Los Angeles Receives Terror Threat

Los Angeles police are aware of an uncorroborated, non-specific terrorism threat against Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C., but it won’t affect already beefed-up New Year’s Eve patrols, a department spokesman said today.

President Barack Obama has been briefed about the uncorroborated threat, which came from a single source overseas and warned of possible attacks between the Christmas and New Year holidays, according to CNN.

“We are aware of it, Major Crimes (Division) is aware of it, but it’s nothing specific,” said Officer Ricardo Hernandez of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Media Relations Section.

The LAPD’s elite Metropolitan Division will be on maximum deployment and the Central Division will have extra officers on hand downtown, where various celebrations are planned, including a free block party in Grand Park that’s expected to draw about 50,000 revelers.

Security will also be heavy at the Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl football game in Pasadena on New Year’s Day, police there said.

Deputy Ryan Rouzan of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau said the department has “received no credible threats that have been directed toward the city or county of Los Angeles.”

Deputies will mount beefed up patrols as a matter of course, including at the parade and football game in Pasadena, and extra units tasked with dealing with intoxicated drivers and illegal fireworks and gunfire will be deployed by stations throughout the county, Rouzan said.

“We’ll have more units than usual in the field,” he said.

The FBI is also increasing the number of agents and staff it will have on hand at command centers in Los Angeles and other U.S. cities, according to CNN.

-City News Service