LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell talks security preps for upcoming big events following NOLA attack

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- 2025 is already off to a violent start.

From a Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas to the terror attack in New Orleans, we are being reminded about the difficulty in safeguarding the public.

Some big events are coming to Los Angeles over the next few years, including the Olympics. So how is the city preparing?

Hosting large events like the World Cup, the Super Bowl, and the Olympics adds an extra layer for the city, which has Mayor Karen Bass calling for vigilance following the truck-ramming attack.

"When you have the World Cup, hen you have people come here from the around the world ... there will be 8 games played here next year," said Bass. "National security is absolutely an issue, which I'm happy to say in the appointment of Police Chief Jim McDonnell, who is used to working on that level, I think that we will be in a good situation. We will be well prepared."

In an exclusive one-on-one interview, McDonnell shared all he's doing to prepare L.A. for these big events and what he's learned from the attack in New Orleans.

"Very concerned," he said. "Whenever you harden the target, someone's going to figure out a way to get around that, so wherever the perimeter is, you also have to provide additional layers of protection for major events with the eyes of the world on L.A., in our case," he said. "To be able to ensure that somebody is not trying to identify a soft target and exploit that. Whether it's a shopping mall, a street scene, what we saw in New Orleans."

McDonnell told Eyewitness News technology that can provide valuable intelligence ahead of big events is key, including cameras and automated license plate readers, which L.A. already has in place.

Partnerships with local agencies - like the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the California Highway Patrol - along with federal agencies are also key.

McDonnell said the LAPD often sends teams to other cities who have hosted big events to study their plan and learn.

"We're fortunate here that we practice all the time," he said. "We have one major event after another. We have large numbers of people gathered in locations repeatedly. The benefit we have from doing it so often is you get better at it. You're able to get the equipment you need to be able to secure the area, and then you have the intelligence base, the network to be able to know what are the threats and how do we then prevent something from occurring."

McDonnell believes his more than 40 years of experience in law enforcement, the network he's built along with the men and women of his department, all give him confidence in knowing that they're ready for anything.

"You also have to live your life," he said. "The people who do these things, that's their objective: to create fear in the population and prevent you from living your life the way you deserve to."

McDonnell also points out that hosting these big events comes with funding for security upgrades. He said the changes L.A. makes to all of its hard and soft targets will improve public safety long after the thousands of visitors have left.