Police on alert to keep the peace during World Series celebrations

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman celebrates his two-run home run against the New York Yankees during the first inning in Game 3 of the baseball World Series, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

LOS ANGELES – With the Dodgers on the brink of winning the World Series Tuesday night in New York, Los Angeles area law enforcement agencies will be on the lookout for unruly celebrations, authorities said.

The Los Angeles Police Department will activate a command post dedicated to monitoring the situation and deploying law enforcement personnel to maintain a safe environment for a peaceful celebration, an LAPD spokesperson told City News Service on Tuesday morning.

“While the Dodgers are still one win away from winning the World Series, the LAPD is already prepared for if — and hopefully when — they do,” LAPD Assistant Chief Blake Chow told City News Service in a statement.

“LAPD has activated our Department Operations Center to monitor the City, and we will also have high-visibility patrol units deployed and additional resources available if needed.

While we understand the excitement surrounding the Dodgers, we are asking the public to please celebrate responsibly. Activities like drunk driving and street takeovers put lives at risk, so please be reminded that anyone who breaks the law will be held accountable.”

The Dodgers took a three-games-to-none lead in the best-of-seven series with a 4-2 victory in Game 3 Monday at Yankee Stadium, with Walker Buehler pitching five scoreless innings and Freddie Freeman hitting a two-run home run in the first inning.

Following that victory, unruly fans gathered at Atlantic and Olympic boulevards in East Los Angeles, where Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies declared an unlawful assembly and dispersed the crowd after fireworks were set off and cars were seen performing stunts in the street, according to Fox11, which added that no injuries or arrests were reported during the incident.

“We’re going to warn, we’re going to give several warnings, dispersal orders, but we’re going to take action, and we’re going to make arrests, we’re going to impound cars that are doing donuts in intersections, because that is dangerous,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Tuesday.

“I don’t want anybody to get hurt,” Luna said. “Can you imagine going out to celebrate, and then we have to make a notification to someone’s parents that their son or daughter was just killed in an intersection for a takeover of something like that? Let’s celebrate properly.”
While plans have not been announced, the Dodgers organization is already planning for a possible World Series victory parade.

Tuesday’s Game 4 begins at 5:08 p.m. Pacific Time. (CNS)