Police in New Orleans are increasing security measures as the city gears up to host the upcoming Super Bowl nearly a month after a deadly New Year’s Day terror attack.
In a release Tuesday, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) said it would be ramping up law enforcement activity in the French Quarter and Bourbon Street areas ahead of the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras, two large events hosted in the city. The Super Bowl will take place on Feb. 9 while Mardi Gras festivities begin in early March.
NOPD collaborated with Louisiana State Police, Homeland Security and the NFL Security team to increase security around the perimeter and cross streets of the high-profile areas ahead of the Super Bowl.
Police said the heightened measures will last beyond the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras.
“We are providing an enhanced patrol presence, some which will be very visible and other measures that will not, but all are intended to be a deterrent to threat actors,” superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said in a release.
The increased law enforcement presence comes just weeks after a terror attack struck New Orleans. On New Year’s Day, a man who pledged support for ISIS rammed a pickup truck down Bourbon Street, killing 14 people.
Law enforcement said it is committed to securing all of New Orleans, but the immediate focus will be restricting traffic in the French Quarter and Bourbon Street for the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras.
NOPD will provide additional details about its security plans after Mardi Gras based on feedback from the community and collaboration from state and federal agencies.
