The Dodgers plan to add more security to prevent any future violence at Dodger Stadium.
With Giants fan Bryan Stow still hospitalized after being beaten by two Dodgers fans Opening Day, Los Angeles police will heighten its security at Chavez Ravine.
“You’re going to see a sea of blue, but it’s not going to be Dodgers blue. It’s going to be LAPD blue,” Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said Thursday, according to sify news. “This is going to be a game-changer.”
To ensure the safety of fans, the police force will be “redoubled” and armed. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has hired former Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton and his security consulting firm to carry out a “thorough analysis of [the Dodgers’] security procedures, and develop long-term solutions to help improve conditions at the stadium.”
“I’ve heard the fans and the citizens of this community, they’re uncomfortable with the behavior of some at Dodger Stadium,” McCourt said at a news conference on Friday. “I have one message for the fans and the citizens of Los Angeles: I hear you loudly, and I hear you clearly.”
The goal is to deter people from coming to Dodgers games to cause trouble.
“When you go into Dodger Stadium, you’re going to meet a Los Angeles police officer. When you leave Dodger Stadium you’re going to bid farewell to a Los Angeles police officer,” Beck said. “We will be a constant presence.”
Los Angeles officials hope to get-tough measures make fans feel safe watching a game at Dodger Stadium.
“If you come to intimidate, to antagonize either other fans or fans of another team, we’re going to do one of two things,” Beck said. “You’re going to be thrown out of the stadium or you’re going to get to go to jail.”
The Dodgers play Giants on Monday in San Franciso, the first meeting since the Stow attack on March 31. According to ESPN.com, World Series-level security will be in effect.
