Security at correspondents' dinner may be tightened

WASHINGTON, April 20 (UPI) -- Presidential security at the annual White House correspondents' dinner in Washington will probably be tightened this year, a former presidential aide said.

Bradley Blakeman, a deputy assistant to former President George W. Bush, says he expects to see additional "presence of uniformed police, and police cars, and that kind of thing," The Hill reported Saturday.

"But a lot of additional ramped up security you probably won't see," he added.

Blakeman, who heads the consulting firm The 1600 Group, commented at the end of a week in which three people were killed and more than 170 injured in bombings at the Boston Marathon and letters containing ricin were sent to President Barack Obama and Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.

The annual dinner is hosted by the White House Correspondents' Association and traditionally attended by the president. It is scheduled for April 27 at the Washington Hilton hotel.

Ed Henry, president of the WHCA, said he hasn't "heard anything that would suggest any sort of elevated threat or anything like that."

"Instead we're focused on having a great night and raising scholarships for needy journalism students," he said.