The New Orleans City Council addressed how to streamline security operations for Bourbon Street during a meeting Wednesday.
This comes after the city received a report from the nation’s top security expert suggesting it makes a portion of Bourbon Street pedestrian-only.
During the meeting, the council spoke with Capt. Sammy Paulombo of the New Orleans Police Department, Homeland Security Director Colin Arnold and French Quarter Management District Executive Director Michelle Courseault about the city’s current process for placing bollards and barriers on Bourbon Street.
The bollards are placed nightly on Bourbon Street starting at 8 p.m., with the placement process beginning at 6 p.m.
According to Paulombo, the process of placing bollards takes the NOPD up to two hours, and there are roughly 60 days out of the year when special events require the bollard system for full closures.
The council proposed taking the responsibility of bollard placement from the NOPD and into the hands of the Department of Public Works or Homeland Security and utilizing other departments like public works or parking enforcement to deploy the equipment.
The council requested a traffic study as well as exploring an automated bollard system as part of a long-term solution.
Council members and city officials agree that festivals and major events require full closures of Bourbon Street and cross streets instead of partial closures.
They are also working on ways to ensure Royal Street, where musicians and culture bearers work, is equally protected as Bourbon Street.
About the Bill Bratton report:
The New Orleans police and Justice Foundation released a final report with suggestions from the nation’s leading tactical expert on how to make the city safer.
NOPJF, a nonprofit organization, contracted Teneo and security expert William J. Bratton to identify areas where the city needed to harden security following the New Year’s Day terror attack.
This comes after the terror attack killed 14 people and injured 35 others after a suspect drove through Bourbon Street crowds.
According to the report, Bratton and his team suggest a permanent pedestrian plaza on Bourbon Street.
Bratton’s team is suggesting making Canal Street to Dumaine Street pedestrian-only.
There would be a window in which trucks could make deliveries to businesses, but Bratton’s team suggests the city work with businesses on what hours would be best.
The report also recommends barriers at each cross street.
Emergency vehicles would be granted access to the pedestrian-only area, according to the report.
The report also outlined deficiencies with the city’s security plan for big events like Mardi Gras.
According to the report, the city does not have sufficient barriers for Mardi Gras parades, and trash cans along parade routes pose a significant risk for improvised explosive devices.
The report also noted that the city does not have a sufficient way to respond to chemical, nuclear or explosive emergencies.
Bratton and his team suggest creating a response plan for these types of incidents and creating clear protocols to secure and remove suspicious material.
The report also says the NOPD is understaffed and underdeveloped in responding to complex threats across the city.
Bratton and his team suggest that the NOPD hire more officers and implement specific training for large-scale events, while also advocating for federal resources for large-scale events.
Bratton also suggests increasing the quality of the city’s barriers. If the city cannot obtain more barriers, the team suggests alternative strategies for the placement of existing barriers for future events.
You can read Bratton’s full report here.
READ MORE:New Orleans City Council looking to streamline bollard placement for Bourbon Street
