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Fans Split Over Safety At Dodger Stadium; Mayor Calls For Calm

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Is it still safe to go to Dodger games anymore?

A prayer vigil set for Wednesday evening in honor of Brian Stow — the San Francisco Giants fan who was attacked on Sunday in a post-game parking lot brawl — will likely bring renewed focus on safety concerns at Dodger Stadium.

KNX 1070's Pete Demetriou reports fans are largely split on whether the potential risk to their personal safety is worth the price of admission.

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One man told KNX 1070 he wouldn't be worried about his safety at a Dodger game, while another said he wouldn't even bother going to a game, saying there is a larger problem with the mentality of Dodger fans.

Team officials continue to face growing pressure to boost security at the Elysian Park site — an effort even Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has joined after producing a public service announcement calling for fans from both cities to cool their traditional rivalry.

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Los Angeles Times columnist T.J. Simers tells KNX 1070 the "absurd" response from Dodgers owner Frank McCourt does little to address the long-simmering situation that has underpinned the security issues at the stadium.

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"We're talking about people who are taking their kids to the ballpark, they're hearing obscenities left and right, they're bothered by drunks," said Simers. "There's a feeling of threats, people cutting in front of lines, people flashing a knife in their pants to show they can go where they want."

Dodgers officials have so far declined to comment on calls for better security and tighter restrictions on alcohol sales.

The L.A. City Council, the Dodgers and the Giants have teamed up to offer more than $100,000 to anyone with information that leads to the arrest of those involved with the assault.

Click here to donate funds to help the Stow family with their medical costs and other expenses.


(©2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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