--
April 09--A day after pledging to boost security at Dodger Stadium, Dodger officials and the LAPD announced a host of security measures Friday that amount to a zero-tolerance policy for rowdy fans.
Along with extra Los Angeles Police Department officers stationed at stadium entrances and exits, off-duty officers hired by the Dodgers will also be in uniform and can eject troublemakers or even revoke season tickets, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said.
"If you come there to intimidate, to antagonize either other fans or fans of another team, you'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."
License plate readers, elevated observation posts and closed-circuit surveillance cameras will be used beginning at Thursday's home series against the St. Louis Cardinals. A no-tailgating policy will be strictly enforced, Beck said.
"If you're coming to cause trouble, I advise you to stay home," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "Because you will be arrested."
The new measures are part of a response to the savage beating of Bryan Stow, a 42-year-old San Francisco Giants fan who was attacked by two men in Dodgers gear at the season opener last week. Stow remains in a coma and has shown signs of brain damage.
The Dodgers will foot the bill for the extra LAPD officers and security measures. Deployment and costs are still being determined.
"We are going to redouble our efforts to make sure we fulfill our promise to the fans and all the citizens of the greater Los Angeles area," said Dodgers owner Frank McCourt. "We are going to provide a safe, family-friendly, fan-friendly environment at Dodger Stadium. I promise you that."
It was unclear how long the measures would be in place. The Dodgers this week hired former LAPD Chief William Bratton and his security consulting firm, Kroll, to develop a long-term
safety plan at the stadium. Bratton and his team would be examining lighting, camera placement, security personnel deployment and other environmental factors.
The Dodgers have already agreed to use a crime-tracking system similar to LAPD's Compstat system, which is used to study patterns and develop strategies to fight crime, Beck said. Officers will be debriefed after each game.
LAPD cited a 51 percent reduction in violent crimes at the stadium since 2008, with 21 recorded last year. In 2009, a man was stabbed multiple times after getting into an argument with several men in the parking lot, also at the season opener against the Giants.
Twenty-four misdemeanor batteries, which include fights, were reported last year, down from 36 in 2009, according to Lt. Andy Neiman.
But where officers choose to draw the line between playful trash talk between rival fans and dialogue that could lead to punches being thrown have elicited concerns from some fans worried that it might subdue the game's mood.
Beck has said that people "making comments that inherently incite violence" would be thrown out, but that the call would be based on an officer's judgment.
"There was always the playful back and forth, insulting each others teams, and I feel that's all right," said Keith Mayoral, a fan from Fontana. "I guess I don't know how you'd be able to differentiate between that and the stuff that leads to this real violence. I don't think I'm going to be a fan of that.
"It sounds like it's going to be more of a bummer," Mayoral said of the new measures. "I'm against the violence that's happening, but I don't think this is a way to remedy that. But what alternatives are there?"
Other fans who have vowed not to return to the stadium after Stow's beating remained unconvinced by the new security measures and were taking a wait-and-see approach to its effectiveness.
"We knew that a crime could happen," said David Hop, a lifelong fan from Woodland Hills who was at the season opener but did not witness the beating. "A lot of fans look like they've just been released from prison and the first place they're going to is Dodger Stadium."
Hop, 63, described a "Wild West" atmosphere with people exchanging profanities in the parking lot that made him and his wife fear for their safety. No security personnel were in sight, he said.
"We decided we're not going back to the games because of this," Hop said. "It's too easy to stay home and watch the game on TV."
McCourt said policies regulating alcohol sales at the stadium would be reviewed, but he said the sale of alcohol wasn't the problem.
"It's an abuse of that privilege (that is)," he said.
Also, as part of a long-term plan, LAPD and the Dodgers will reach out to other L.A. sporting venues such as Staples Center in an effort to change fan behavior, said Beck, citing victory celebrations that have turned violent.
"We've gone down a slippery slope of fan behavior that starts in our youth leagues, our little leagues, and continues on into the major leagues," Beck said. "We can't look at this as just a Dodger problem. This is a public safety issue."
The Giants dedicated Friday's home game to Stow and will make a $10,000 donation to a fund set up to support him and his family. A silent auction will be held at their Monday game against the Dodgers with all proceeds benefiting the Bryan Stow Fund.
"Bryan is a father, paramedic and lifelong Giants fan who has dedicated himself to caring for others," said Bill Neukom, Giants managing general partner and CEO, in a statement. "Now he needs our support as he fights for his life following this brutal and unconscionable act of violence."
