A crowd of 100,000 is expected at Dodgers parade — and security will be tight
After scattered instances of burglary and vandalism Wednesday in the hours after the Dodgers won the World Series, police are hoping the Friday championship parade and related festivities go off without problems.
“The expectations are a safe, family-friendly event to celebrate our Dodgers,” LAPD Cmdr. Steve Lurie said. “I do expect large crowds, but we believe they will be completely peaceful, and we will be there together with the Fire Department and the Sheriff’s Department to help keep everybody safe.”
Lurie said the 11 a.m. parade could bring 100,000 people to downtown Los Angeles, and he expects fans to begin lining the route early. The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department will patrol Grand Park, adjacent to the parade’s starting point at City Hall. California Highway Patrol officers will track the movements of the athletes during the parade, he added.
The Dodgers defeated the Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series to capture the eighth title in franchise history and second championship in five seasons.
He said there were no known threats regarding the event but that hundreds of officers and deputies would be there — on foot, bicycles and horses. The parade, he said, is expected to run less than an hour.
The parade will start at Los Angeles City Hall at 11 a.m. and end near 5th and Figueroa streets. Members of the Dodgers will be transported atop double-decker buses. A celebration at Dodger Stadium will follow at 12:15 p.m., with tickets required for the event.
Authorities made more than dozen arrests after street celebrations over the Dodgers’ World Series victory devolved into a series of burglaries, vandalism and fires in some parts of Los Angeles.
In downtown L.A., multiple businesses were burglarized or vandalized, though exact details were not available. The Los Angeles Police Department said some in the crowd were “hostile” and threw objects at officers. Videos showed people stealing from Nike’s Jumpman L.A. flagship store on Broadway and cars doing doughnuts at intersections to the roars of bystanders.
After 36 long years, the Dodgers will be able to celebrate a World Series title with their fans during a victory parade scheduled to take place Friday.
In Echo Park, a Metro bus was set on fire. One person was seriously injured when a firework exploded in their hand.
Officials said Friday’s festivities should be much calmer.
Lurle said that in downtown L.A. streets will shut before dawn. “So government offices are encouraging teleworking,” he said. “The City Council has canceled their meeting.”
Mayor Karen Bass characterized the incidents of mayhem following the game as “few” and said she expected the perpetrators to be held accountable. She added that the “overwhelming majority of people who were out there celebrating ... were peaceful, joyful, unified.”
In East Los Angeles, several deputies were attacked with fireworks on Whittier Boulevard, Sheriff Robert Luna said, including one whose vest burned after they were hit by a firework. Another deputy was struck by someone with a pipe, and another was hit with a rock. Two people were arrested.
Times staff writers Salvador Hernandez and Dakota Smith contributed to this report.
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