LA officials scramble to accommodate horde of Michael Jackson fans at Tuesday memorial

LA braces for horde of Michael Jackson mourners

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles officials are scrambling over the holiday weekend to figure out how to accommodate an expected horde of Michael Jackson fans who will show up for a public memorial service next week.

The Jackson family said in a statement that the event has been set for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the downtown Staples Center.

Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine says the service could draw 100,000 fans. The center’s capacity is about 20,000.

He says with the July Fourth holiday weekend “it’s the worst time … to work something out.” He also says he’s concerned about the cost of police overtime for the cash-strapped city.