6:50pm Monday 6th July 2009
© Press Association 2011
The city of Los Angeles has asked Michael Jackson's family for financial help with the cost of coping with the singer's memorial, it has emerged.
Councillor Jan Perry said she would "love it" if the Jacksons helped defray some of the city's expected costs but that officials had not had a reply.
Ms Perry said there was no immediate estimate of the costs involved.
More than 1.6 million fans registered online for a chance to attend the Staples Centre ceremony, and only 8,750 names were chosen. Los Angeles officials are concerned about other fans clogging city streets. "We're encouraging people to stay away," Ms Perry said.
Jackson family friend the Rev Al Sharpton said: "The city is trying to do what it should do to secure people. That's what cities do. Clearly, no one in the family are happy that the city is incurring any expense at all. You're talking about an historic figure that will have an historic celebration, probably one that we would not see similar in this generation."
Meanwhile it was confirmed Jackson's ex-wife and mother of two of his children Debbie Rowe will attend the memorial.
Dozens of police were parked outside Dodger Stadium where ticket winners could start picking up their coveted passes to the event.
Winners were to show up with a unique code and instructions to pick up tickets. A wristband was to be placed on each person's wrist. Organisers will check IDs to make sure those picking up wristbands are the same people who originally applied online.
The memorial service will be broadcast live on five television networks. The tickets will admit 11,000 people to the centre plus 6,500 in an overflow section. The surrounding streets will be closed to prevent those without tickets from trying to attend.
Assistant Police Chief Jim McDonnell warned the ticketless to stay away. "You'll be standing in the hot sun on a city street with a lot of other people," he said. "But not within eyeshot of Staples."
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