Obama inauguration security beefed up

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Thousands of extra security personnel are being deployed to Washington for U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's Jan. 20 inauguration, officials said.

With crowds of up to 2 million people expected for the event, officials are putting together what looks to be largest security operation ever for a presidential inauguration, expanding it to cover a burgeoning number of spin-off events in addition to the traditional swearing-in ceremony and parade, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

At least 70 concerts, balls and other events surrounding the inauguration have sprung up, including a Jan. 18 celebration welcoming Obama at the Lincoln Memorial, which could draw 500,000 people, the Washington mayor's office said.

"You've gone from a one-day event to a four-day event," Joseph Persichini Jr., head of the FBI's Washington Field Office, told the Post, adding that about 20 percent more FBI employees than usual will be present for the activities.

The U.S. Park Police said it will rely on a massive security force, including 1,300 unarmed National Guard soldiers, to detect problems at the Washington Mall instead of individually checking bags, the newspaper said.