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FIFA World Cup 2014 logo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
By Brian Hews
On the eve of the Mexico-Brazil World Cup Soccer Game the Huntington Park Police Department has issued a warning to residents and party goers that they will be out in force and will not tolerate unruly behavior.
In a statement to members of the media, Lt Neal Mongan of the Huntington Park Police Department said that “World Cup 2014 is upon us and fans around the world are excited to watch soccer matches between their favorite teams. Locally we have a significant number of soccer fans who will be watching the games and cheering for Team Mexico.”
Mongan told Hews Media Group-Community Newspaper that “the Huntington Park Police Department welcomes fans to enjoy the games with family and friends. HPPD encourages fans to celebrate responsibly and to obey the laws. Our mission during World Cup season is to provide law enforcement personnel and services so any celebration by the community is conducted in a safe and lawful manner. The Huntington Park Police Department will take a pro-active stance to prevent property damage and personal injury associated with impromptu celebrations.”
During previous World Cup competitions, the City of Huntington Park experienced large scale civil unrest in the form of spontaneous, unorganized street celebrations. Large crowds engaged in disruptive and hostile behavior, acts of violence, vandalism, theft, the setting of fires and property damage.
Mongan said that officials in the southeast Los Angeles County community have “developed a pro-active stance towards maintaining order and minimizing the impact of any impromptu celebrations.”
“During the 2010 World Cup games, we again saw impromptu street celebrations that resulted in the closure of main streets through Huntington Park. Our local businesses and community avoided disruption and property damage through cooperative planned efforts, and the deployment of resources between HPPD and our partnerships with neighboring law enforcement agencies,” Mongan said.
He concluded by stating, “We anticipate fans will desire to celebrate immediately following the Mexico game on June 17th. Whether you are enjoying the games at home or at a local business the Huntington Park Police encourage fans to celebrate responsibly. We remind fans that celebrating in roadways, disrupting traffic is both dangerous and against the law.”
Video of soccer fans in Huntington Park, California during past contests featuring Team Mexico.
