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Rose Bowl, parade ready with increased security

Members of at least one marching band scheduled to participate have been denied visas by federal officials.

By Ed Adamczyk
The annual Tournament of Roses parade, held New Year's Day in Pasadena, Claif., will have heightened federal security in 2016. File photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
The annual Tournament of Roses parade, held New Year's Day in Pasadena, Claif., will have heightened federal security in 2016. File photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

PASEDENA , Calif., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- With the new year comes the annual Tournament of Roses parade, which this year features heightened security after the shootings in nearby San Bernardino, Calif.

Friday's parade in Pasadena, and the Rose Bowl football game which follows it, have been assigned "Special Event Assessment 1" ratings by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, indicating they are of such national importance they require extensive federal interagency security and incident management preparedness.

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It means, Pasadena Chief of Police Phillip Sanchez said, the city will obtain "more resources that we've traditionally not had access to."

"We get more people, more scanners, more cameras, more rapid response teams that I think will all be very helpful for creating a total circle of security around the Rose Bowl and along the parade route."

He added there will be at least 30 more undercover officers on the route and more visible surveillance cameras than normal. Clear plastic bags for carrying personal items will be distributed to all parade attendees, and will be checked.

Sanchez emphasized neither the parade nor the football game has received any specific threat.

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Meanwhile a 340-member Guatemalan children's marching band was unable to secure visas in time for their participation in the parade. Although parade officials said it they working with U.S. officials to help the Pedro Molina Band, which performed in the parade in 2010, they blame heightened federal security for the visa issue.

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