Q&A: Safety in LA
What are some of the existing security measures that Los Angeles has in place?
Ensuring the safety of our visitors has always been, and remains, a top priority for the City and County of Los Angeles. We know through a recent Longwood Travel USA Study, nearly all (96%) of visitors to Los Angeles felt safe.
As one of the largest cities in America, the size of our law enforcement and other safety agencies matches any other major destination in the country. Like any other major city, our mayor and city entities like LAPD and LAFD are fully prepared for all crisis scenarios. We have an Emergency Management Department whose primary focus is to ensure the City, and its residents and visitors, have the resources and information they need to prepare, respond, and recover from emergencies, disasters and significant events. For example, one resource they encourage for everyone to use is NotifyLA, the city’s official mass notification system that is used to send voice, text and email messages during times of emergencies and disasters. It’s an incredibly important resource that’s easy for visitors to sign up for: just text the zip code you’re staying in to 888777.
Another example of a security measure that’s in place for our visitors and convention delegates, specifically in Downtown Los Angeles, is our BID Safety Teams. Downtown is home to numerous Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), which are funded by property owners within each district. While in Downtown, you may come across various BIDs’ Safety Team; they’re usually on bicycles wearing bright-colored shirts. These personnel have training that ranges from enhanced customer service to assisting those in need and much more. They serve as additional eyes and ears for all local law enforcement and city entities. When called upon, they also provide safety services during major events throughout Downtown. Los Angeles visitors can freely ask these personnel for assistance any time they need to in Downtown.
How is the City of Los Angeles increasing or expanding on safety measures?
Like any major city, the City of Los Angeles regularly reviews and updates their safety and security procedures and actively engages our area hotels and venues to ensure appropriate measures are in place. Our Mayor and his team continue to put measures in place such as doubling the size of LAPD’s Metro Division to make Los Angeles an even safer city for both residents and our tourism community.
For example, the Los Angeles Convention Center recently upgraded and enhanced its security features on and around its campus. Improvements include installing K12-rated (the highest rating), truck-resistant bollards to the South and West Hall exterior entry points; a revamped CCTV system with 350 high-definition security cameras; an additional 636 door contacts throughout the perimeter of the facility with alarms; more access control at various entry points; as well as ensuring staff has undergone active shooter trainings with LAPD in both a classroom and live scenario setting.
Los Angeles Tourism also works closely with our partners at the City and County level, including the Mayor’s office and LAPD, to relay any new security-related information that they may be implementing to our visitors.
How can visitors make safety their priority when traveling for meetings or for leisure?
Visitors traveling domestically or internationally should always follow good common sense, regardless of the destination. These tips include:
- Always pay attention, stay alert, and be aware of your surroundings.
- Carry your personal items in front of you and close to your body. Try not to carry more than you can handle.
- Don’t flash any cash or credit cards.
- Remove and stash your convention badges outside of the meeting site.
- Walk in well-traveled and well-lit places, especially at night, and do so with a companion when you can.
- Always lock your car and store all items out of sight, including spare change and cell phones.
- See something, say something: be sure to report suspicious behavior to local law enforcement
How does Los Angeles work with its partner hotels and venues to ensure safety of visitors is at the forefront?
The City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Tourism regularly has open discussions with our area hotel partners and venues as we collectively collaborate to ensure visitor safety is and remains a top priority. Our hospitality community understands safety and security is top-of-mind among all travelers today and its imperative visitors feel safe while enjoying a memorable experience in Los Angeles. Los Angeles Tourism recently hosted ‘Ready Los Angeles,’ for members of the tourism and hospitality community to ensure their crisis management protocols were up-to-date, expand their network with key industry contacts, and deliver greater synergy with city and county entities for better preparation in the event of a major crisis.
