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LAX Police Beef Up Patrols During Thanksgiving

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Police at Los Angeles International Airport are beefing up patrols during the 10-day Thanksgiving period that begins Friday.

Police said they have new tools to ensure public safety at the airport, which includes 14 motorcycles, three electric standup vehicles, and a new fleet of state-of-the-art cars equipped with license plate recognition systems.

"We use the system for different reasons. One of them is to identify any vehicles that may have been involved in criminal acts," said Lt. Masis Sossikian from L.A. Airport Police.

The system also allows officials to check when and where a criminal entered the airport.

Police believe the new equipment will curb criminal activity, such as vehicle thefts.

Travelers, however, should also do their part to keep their items safe.

"Our goal is to have people hide their valuables and make sure their cars are locked," said Chief Michael Hyams.

As always, officials encouraged the estimated 1.8 million travelers to arrive at LAX early and be prepared.

"Passengers on flights between LAX and cities that are traditionally popular with Angelenos, such as San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston, and New York, may find those flights fully booked," said Arif Alikhan from Homeland Security.

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