Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, speaking at a news conference Police Chief William Bratton and L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca, said security has been heightened at Los Angeles International Airport and that policing of the county’s transit system by the Sheriff’s Department and LAPD officers will increase immediately. The new mayor said the actions are not in response to any specific threat.
Villaraigosa said he also is in contact with the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. The steps being taken locally are the equivalent of an “Orange Alert” for L.A.’s ground transportation system. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security raised the national threat level to “Orange,” but only for mass rail and other transit lines.
Villaraigosa also urged Angelenos to call the Terrorist Threat Assessment Center at (877) A-THREAT to report any suspicious activity that could relate to terrorism. “I cannot stress enough the need for all to remain calm, but aware,” he said.
The Sheriff’s Department opened its Emergency Operations Center at 4 a.m. on Thursday after the attacks to London’s bus and subway system took place. LAPD officers began staffing the city’s Emergency Operations Center at around the same time.
*Below are links to updated news stories on the events in London and how they are affecting global financial markets:
