Security Expert Says Expect Major Changes At Big Venues In Wake Of More Frequent Terror Attacks
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — In the wake of the San Bernardino and Paris terror attacks and other recent mass shootings, security experts said you can expect to see major changes at soft targets, including arenas and movie theaters, throughout Southern California.
There was a heavy police presence Friday at the Regal movie theater in San Bernardino, about three miles from the Inland Regional Center where 14 were killed and 21 others wounded.
Several days before the massacre, a security guard reported suspicious activity involving people who appeared to be Middle-Eastern.
"The security guard took it upon himself and notified our police department," said Chief Jarrod Burguan of the San Bernardino Police Department.
The guard said around closing time Monday, Nov. 30, a man asked him about movies and movie times. The guard said he thought the exchange was strange and later noticed another person driving around the theater taking photos.
Police relayed the information to other law enforcement agencies, and investigators are trying to determine if there was a real threat.
"We have zero connection, zero evidence or information that connects that event with what happened here at the Inland Regional Center," Burguan said.
Security consultant Gary Wong said the guard did the right thing in this climate of "see something, say something." Wong said the San Bernardino shooting rampage will lead to sweeping changes at many venues with large crowds.
"They're going to step it up. They're more active. There's more security. There's better training. It's just the way it is. and it has to be," Wong said.
He also said everyone needs to be proactive and put aside political correctness to report anything that seems suspicious.
Police said there has been a lot of misinformation being posted on social media about possible terrorist targets and whether authorities are truly sharing everything they know. They said they are being forthcoming and urge the public to stay calm.
We are living in a different world now when going to the movies, a concert or simply working at your job may no longer be safe. How do parents talk to their children about the recent string of terror attacks and mass shootings? CBS2/KCAL9's Rebecca Ferriter spoke to a psychologist:
