San Diego law enforcement agencies plan to have officers and K9 units out in full force this weekend keeping the crowds safe at the 20th Annual San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon.
Officers and K9s from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will be doing explosives and firearms sweeps along race routes.
Security will be tight for the Rock ‘n’ Roll race, with agencies such as the FBI, San Diego Fire Rescue’s Bomb Squad, explosive specialists, K9 handlers and hazmat personnel manning the areas around the big race in downtown San Diego.
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Officials say K9s can detect thousands of combinations of explosives, which will be helpful in seeking out any potential dangers present at the race.
Brooks Jacobson, Special Agent with the ATF says that K9 Cassie, ATF specialist, will be among the K9s out in full force at the race.
“We will be working with the San Diego Metro Arson Strike Team (MAST), as well as a joint hazardous assessment team, which has the disciplines in that group to detect and mitigate any type of device or hazardous material,” Jacobson told NBC 7.
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Jacobson says Cassie will sit, alerting officers if she finds a suspicious item.
Despite tight security measures at the race, Jacobson encourages attendees and spectators to still be aware of their surroundings and, if they see something out of place, say something.
“They should be aware of anything out of place,” Jacobson said. “[They should] come get a team, there will be multiple teams out there. We can look through [the issue] and keep everybody safe. That’s our primary goal.”
