Heavy Security In Place For Rose Parade

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- Final preparations were underway Thursday for the 127th Rose Parade and 102nd Rose Bowl football game, the huge New Year's celebration that authorities said would be held under unprecedented security although there were no known threats.

Despite the prospect of overnight temperatures as low as the mid-30s, enthusiastic fans were expected to begin claiming spots to camp out along the 5 1/2-mile route Thursday afternoon, swelling to a projected crowd exceeding 700,000 Friday morning when flower-decked floats, marching bands and equestrian units begin moving through Pasadena.

The massive influx of people into the city, the length of the parade route, and numerous venues ranging from float decorating pavilions to Tournament of Roses headquarters and the Rose Bowl itself has always required a huge deployment of law enforcement, but officials said the 2016 security effort was bigger than ever.

The plan involved "an unprecedented volume of resources and technologies," Mark Selby, deputy special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Los Angeles and the federal coordinator for the Rose Parade and Bowl security, said at a recent news conference.

More than two dozen federal agencies -- including the Secret Service, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Coast Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency -- were coordinating with the Pasadena Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles Police Department and California Highway Patrol.

Federal personnel planned to use a variety of explosives-detection methods across the city ranging from bomb-sniffing dogs to devices that register even minute amounts of radiation, according to Selby.

Multiple tactical teams were on standby to support local police in the event of an incident.

In addition, Selby said there would be "a surveillance capability unmatched in the city's history."

"While a sophisticated network of cameras has been temporarily set up to track any activities at the venues on the ground, Customs and Border Protection aircraft will also be providing protective surveillance from the sky," he said.

The city also used automated license plate readers to gather information in advance of the parade, according to Police Chief Phillip Sanchez, who said his biggest concern was the "lone-wolf, non-state actor." He urged the public to report any suspicious activity.

Selby noted the Dec. 2 terror attack that killed 14 people in San Bernardino, 60 miles east of Los Angeles, but he emphasized that the Rose Parade's massive security preparations began more than a year ago.

Los Angeles FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said Thursday there were "no known specific or credible threats" to the event.

Also expected to operate under tight security was a New Year's Eve countdown party in downtown Los Angeles' Grand Park, an event expected to draw thousands.

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