Los Angeles heightens security after threat to metro system

Record ID: 76007

  • Title: Los Angeles heightens security after threat to metro system
  • Date: 6th December 2016
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 6, 2016) (REUTERS) VIEW FROM ABOVE OF OFFICERS FROM THE LOS ANGELES SHERIFF DEPARTMENT AT TOP OF ESCALATOR AT UNIVERSAL/STUDIO CITY METRO STATION CLOSE OF OFFICERS WEARING BODY ARMOR AND CARRYING WEAPONS VARIOUS OF OFFICER CHECKING BAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) SEPALI MOLINE, COMMUTER, SAYING: "I have to go to work. I have to go to work, but I'm scared." SEPALI MOLINE WALKING TOWARDS STATION OFFICERS WEARING HELMETS PEOPLE WALKING TOWARDS STATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARISA MOURA, COMMUTER, SAYING: "Nervous, a little scared, but I don't want to drive, so I'm going to take the chance, I guess." MARISA MOURA WALKING INTO STATION OFFICERS IN FRONT OF STATION LOS ANGELES MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI TALKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOS ANGELES MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI SAYING: "You know, look, every day, you can't take away threats in your life a hundred percent, but I trust the professionals that are dealing with this. I trust that, with an increased presence and the publicity around this, that sometimes reduces the threat, because people realize that we're watching and we're looking, that the mayor's going to be on here, that every deputy that we have and that we can bring about is going to be on the trains, that we have undercover people. And that gives me a lot of confidence. You can never erase the threat to zero, but I want to make sure that people know we have a system that can and will respond forcefully whenever there are these threats. And I personally wanted to let people know I'm not asking them to do something I wouldn't do myself." VARIOUS OF GARCETTI WALKING DOWN STAIRS INTO METRO STATION
  • Embargoed: 21st December 2016 21:12
  • Keywords: Los Angeles Metro rail Red Line threat mayor Universal Studios Mayor Eric Garcetti
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015BQZSCN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Heavy security at subway stations in Los Angeles greeted commuters on Tuesday (December 6) as federal and local authorities investigated a specific but uncorroborated threat to detonate a bomb at the Metro Red Line's Universal City station.
    Local media broadcast footage of gun-toting deputies searching passengers' bags while bomb squad teams led bomb-sniffing dogs around stations across the Los Angeles County transit system.
    Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who boarded a train at the Universal City station himself on Tuesday, said law enforcement was prepared and asked the public to be vigilant.
    "I trust the professionals that are dealing with this," Garcetti said. "You can never erase the threat to zero, but I want to make sure that people know we have a system that can and will respond forcefully whenever there are these threats."
    Federal and city officials said on Monday they had been alerted by authorities in another country to a "specific" threat against the city's Red Line commuter rail system, prompting them to beef up security and alert the public.
    "This threat is imminent ... it is very specific," Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck told an evening news conference on Monday. "But the credibility still needs to be vetted."
    Law enforcement officials told the news conference the threat had been relayed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation by a law enforcement agency in another country, where the threat had originated. Officials did not identify the country.
    The male caller, speaking in English, had warned authorities in that country of a potential attack on Tuesday targeting the Red Line station, which is across the street from the Universal Studios theme park, Beck said.
    The caller did not threaten to carry out the attack, but said he was alerting law enforcement.
    The Red Line runs between downtown Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. It carries about 145,000 passengers a day as part of the city's larger transit system.
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