Safety and Security at LAX

LAX Terror Alert

British authorities announced on Thursday the arrest of 24 individuals suspected of attempting to launch attacks on airplanes between the United Kingdom and the United States using a mixture of liquids that they intended to smuggle into the air. While the disclosure of this plot certainly reminds us that we must always remain vigilant against those who wish to inflict harm upon us, it also reaffirms our faith in the work of law enforcement agencies and individuals around the globe to prevent such catastrophes.

Yesterday, I joined Mayor Villaraigosa, Chief of Police William Bratton, City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, and my City Council colleagues Dennis Zine, Jack Weiss, Bill Rosendahl, and Janice Hahn — along with federal security officials — to address local concerns that have arisen as a result of the arrests.

Though the national threat level was raised to the “orange” level for the aviation sector, a state of heightened alert, all Los Angeles-area airports are fully operational, and flights are departing and arriving as scheduled. Be sure to give yourself a little extra time to make your way through some of the extra security checks, and remove any liquids, gels, or other similar items from your carry-on luggage and store them in your checked baggage.