Dance Dance Dance!
LOS ANGELES
DOWNTOWN
NEWS Volume 40, Number 31
INSIDE
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A big shake-up for Meruelo Maddux, and other happenings Around Town.
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A route for the $125 million Downtown streetcar slowly comes into focus.
W W W. D O W N T O W N N E W S . C O M
August 1, 2011
Keeping the Tall Towers Safe As the 10-Year Anniversary of 9/11 Approaches, Officials Rely on Inter-Agency Cooperation to Make Downtown High-Rises Secure
Urban Scrawl on red light cameras.
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Money grab in the mayor’s race.
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A big BID battle in the Arts District.
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photo by Gary Leonard
LAPD Cmdr. Blake Chow and Brady Metcalfe of Universal Protection Service, which employs 1,400 security officials in about 30 Downtown buildings. The private company works closely with the LAPD and other agencies to keep Downtown high-rises safe.
by Ryan Vaillancourt
Get out and party with the police.
destroyed in New York, a plane slammed into the Pentagon and a fourth plane crashed in a hen prompted to consider the impact of Pennsylvania field after passengers rushed the ter9/11, counterterrorism officials and pri- rorists in the cockpits. Still, security officials say vate security consultants, like just about the event looms large and continues to influence everyone else, start by expressing a somber awe. the evolution of public and private safety. The Then they describe that day as a turning point. principal impact, they say, has been an ongoing Next month will mark the 10-year anniversary cultural shift in the security industry that prizes see xxxxxxxxxxxx, page 9 and intelligence sharing. of the day the World Trade Center towers were inter-agency cooperation
A Fashion District food find.
The Dogs Have Their Day
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staff writer
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Social Event at Cathedral Draws More Than 2,000 Living Creatures by Jon Regardie executive editor
The 3 on 3 ballers storm L.A. Live.
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13 CALENDAR LISTINGS 16 MAP 17 CLASSIFIEDS
“One of the silver linings of, and I hate to say it like that, but before 9/11 there really wasn’t a lot of talk between state, local and federal agencies,” said LAPD Cmdr. Blake Chow, who oversees an array of city counterterrorism operations. “There wasn’t a formal mechanism for it. Since then, so much emphasis has been put on intelligence sharing.” Although most people who work in Downtown see Security, page 9
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hat has 5,556 legs and loves Downtown Los Angeles? The 748 canines and 1,282 humans who showed up last week at Dog Day Afternoon at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. On Tuesday, July 26, more than 2,000 living creatures thronged the cathedral for the fifth annual event. It marked a 30% increase over the 2010 gathering. The plaza was filled with Chihuahuas that could fit in a hand, a Great Pyrenees named Bernie that was the size of a Shetland Pony, and every breed in between. They barked, jumped, licked, sniffed and snacked on the treats given away by a scattering of Downtown pet boutiques.
The action was just as lively among the people who live and work in Downtown. Folks in suits and families pushing strollers, many with canine companions, came out to mingle, converse, grab a drink or snack and meet their neighbors. The event was organized by the cathedral and the Downtown Center Business Improvement District. Those who arrived without an animal had the chance to bring a dog home courtesy of Downtown’s Bark Avenue, which had puppies up for adoption. For the rebel types, at least at this event, there were also cat adoptions. For more pictures of the festivities, see page 8. Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com.
photo by Gary Leonard
The fifth annual Dog Day Afternoon drew dogs of all shapes and sizes, and the people who love them.
The Voice of Downtown Los Angeles