Police State USA obtained a tip from a reader notifying of the signs being posted near the route of the upcoming Rose Parade - an annual parade held on New Year's Day in Pasadena. The parade draws crowds of hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country. Hundreds of recreational vehicles gather along the parade route and in nearby parking lots in the week preceding the parade.
The sign in the photograph sent to Police State USA reads:
Pasadena Police have been treating the Rose Parade like a terrorist target since 9/11, and have annually employed a program they dub "Parade Watch." A police document from 2002 discusses the program and some of its tactics. Discussing the vehicle searches, Pasadena PD published, "One of the simplest responses would have been to post 'No Parking' signs along the cross streets of the route, however, such a response was inconsistent with the goals and the tradition of the Rose Parade."DEC. 29 THRU JAN. 1
FOR SECURITY PURPOSES ALL VEHICLES PARKED IN THIS AREA ARE SUBJECT TO INSPECTION AND SEARCH BY PASADENA PD. NON-COMPLIANCE MAY RESULT IN CITATION AND TOW AT OWNER'S EXPENSE.