Following the New Year’s Day terror assault on Bourbon Street that left 14 revelers dead and numerous others injured, Louisiana’s attorney general declared on Monday that New Orleans security procedures would be thoroughly reviewed.
In a statement, State Attorney General Liz Murrill said that after speaking with the governor, she had directed the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation to look into the city’s security measures for New Year’s Eve and the Sugar Bowl.
The action was taken in response to criticism and inquiries regarding New Orleans’ security routine, which included failing to install anti-vehicle barriers that it had owned for many years. Other barriers, called bollards, had also just been taken down because they needed to be replaced due to malfunctions.
Louisianans are entitled to answers. We are dedicated to obtaining a comprehensive understanding of what was done or not done, and more crucially, what must be altered to ensure that this does not occur again, Murrill stated.
All facets of the preparation and implementation of security measures for the New Year’s Eve festivities and the Sugar Bowl, which was staged at the Superdome on New Year’s Day, were anticipated to be examined, she added. She said that security rules, risk assessments, and funding would all be examined.
Police and local officials have promised to support the review, according to Murrill.
She expressed gratitude to the New Orleans Police Department for their prompt and courageous response, which resulted in the attacker’s death before additional people were harmed.
In the statement, she expressed her hope that the results of the study would help give our law enforcement personnel and the City of New Orleans the knowledge and resources they need to better protect the town and its numerous tourists.
Officials from New Orleans have defended the city’s New Year’s Eve security measures, claiming that they included putting up temporary barriers, cars, and police officers all across the French Quarter.
The assailant, who swerved down the sidewalk on Bourbon Street after driving a pickup truck around a police cruiser, was characterized by Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick as a terrorist who was out to cause destruction.
“This man was going to give it his all, and he would have gone somewhere else if it hadn’t been on Bourbon,” she said.
The 2019 Mardi Gras in New Orleans has been upgraded by President Joe Bidenon to a Special Event Assessment Rating of 1, the highest rating given by the Department of Homeland Security for major events that take place in the United States or overseas and necessitate substantial government interagency support. Earlier, it was rated as a Level 2 event.
In a statement, the Biden administration stated that federal support for the March 4 Mardi Gras celebrations may include field intelligence teams, cyber risk assessment, venue screening, bomb detection canine teams, and assistance with air security and tactical operations.
Every year, regardless of the host city, the Super Bowl, which will take place at the Superdome on February 9, has already earned a 1 rating.
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