AGGRESSIVE ANTI-TERROR STEPS URGED STRONGER PREVENTION SOUGHT.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

Los Angeles needs to boost its anti-terrorist intelligence resources to more aggressively protect the city against attacks like those last week in London, city officials were urged Tuesday.

Several City Council members said more needed to be done to protect the public safety after getting a closed-door City Council briefing on transit protection by representatives of the Los Angeles Police Department, Sheriff's Department and Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

While LAPD officials have said they have not received any information about immediate threats to the city or the surrounding region, Commander Mark Leap of the Counter Terrorism Bureau said the city needs to give more priority to prevention.

``That means more intelligence work,'' Leap said. ``There are only two things we can do and that's try to prevent something from happening and then be prepared to respond to any event.''

The LAPD is one of the few local police agencies in the nation to have an ongoing intelligence operation to work with law enforcement agencies to track terrorist events.

``I think there is no question that Los Angeles is going to be a target for terrorists at some point in the future,'' Councilman Jack Weiss said. ``And the only way we are going to be able to try to head it off is by increasing what we do as far as intelligence of terrorists groups, including our own homegrown groups.''

Weiss, who has made terrorism response one of his top issues, said he plans to meet with LAPD officials and others to develop a plan to increase intelligence operations that would include an oversight committee.

Previous LAPD intelligence operations have drawn criticism that they were spying on individuals.

Councilman Dennis Zine said he also is concerned about a need for greater intelligence operations.

``If we are going to try to make this city safe, we have to be able to find out what the bad guys are doing,'' Zine said.

Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who represents the San Pedro area, said she is concerned that city and police officials may be too reactive.

``We are looking to provide security after something happens,'' Hahn said. ``I think we need to be more proactive and look at areas where we can make improvements.''

Hahn said she is particularly concerned about security at Los Angeles Harbor.

``We have 15 million containers coming in every year and, at best, we check 3 percent of them,'' Hahn said ``It just seems to me we ought to be looking at what can be done there before something bad happens.''

Rick Orlov, [phone]

rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com