With Dodgers on brink of World Series title, LA authorities vow to keep the peace amid celebrations
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- With the Dodgers on the brink of possibly winning the World Series Tuesday night in New York, Los Angeles area law enforcement agencies will be on the lookout for unruly celebrations, authorities and elected officials said.
The Los Angeles Police Department will activate a command post dedicated to monitoring the situation and deploying law enforcement personnel to maintain a safe environment for a peaceful celebration, an LAPD spokesperson told City News Service on Tuesday morning.
"While the Dodgers are still one win away from winning the World Series, the LAPD is already prepared for if -- and hopefully when -- they do," LAPD Assistant Chief Blake Chow said in a statement. "LAPD has activated our Department Operations Center to monitor the City, and we will also have high-visibility patrol units deployed and additional resources available if needed. While we understand the excitement surrounding the Dodgers, we are asking the public to please celebrate responsibly.
"Activities like drunk driving and street takeovers put lives at risk, so please be reminded that anyone who breaks the law will be held accountable," Chow said.
The Dodgers took a three-games-to-none lead in the best-of-seven series with a 4-2 victory in Game 3 Monday at Yankee Stadium, with Walker Buehler pitching five scoreless innings and Freddie Freeman hitting a two-run home run in the first inning.
"Go Dodgers! Third game in a row! One more -- we're keeping our fingers crossed," Mayor Karen Bass said Tuesday at a joint news conference with Gov. Gavin Newsom. "It has been spectacular to see what we have done -- and going into hostile territory."
Said a smiling Newsom, "All I'll say is be cautious. And I also will say, you know, you'll follow in the footsteps -- if you do sweep -- of the San Francisco Giants that swept the Detroit Tigers in 2012."
Bass asked with a chuckle, "How long ago was that?"
Following that victory, unruly fans gathered at Atlantic and Olympic boulevards in East Los Angeles, where Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies declared an unlawful assembly and dispersed the crowd after fireworks were set off and cars were seen performing stunts in the street. No injuries or arrests were reported during the incident.
"We're going to warn, we're going to give several warnings, dispersal orders, but we're going to take action, and we're going to make arrests, we're going to impound cars that are doing donuts in intersections, because that is dangerous," Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Tuesday.
"I don't want anybody to get hurt," Luna said. "Can you imagine going out to celebrate, and then we have to make a notification to someone's parents that their son or daughter was just killed in an intersection for a takeover of something like that? Let's celebrate properly."
While plans have not been announced, the Dodgers organization is already planning for a possible World Series victory parade.
City News Service contributed to this report.
