New Orleans security plan to be thoroughly reviewed by Louisiana AG following Bourbon Street attack: report
A temporary barrier meant to keep vehicles out of Bourbon Street was positioned incorrectly when a terrorist drove a pickup truck into a crowd, resulting in the deaths of 14 and injuries to many more.
A review into the security planning for the Sugar Bowl and New Year's Eve in Louisiana is being planned by the state's top attorney as concerns grow about whether New Orleans officials could have done more to prevent the deadly attack on Bourbon Street that killed 14 people and injured dozens more, according to a report.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill intends to reveal the results of a comprehensive review on Monday, with New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick committing to fully assist and cooperate with her.
The temporary barrier on Bourbon Street, which was meant to prevent cars from entering the area where Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a truck through a New Year's crowd, was set down instead of up, allowing vehicles to pass.
In mid-November, temporary metal barriers were put up on Bourbon Street and other parts of the French Quarter while the city replaced old bollards with stainless steel ones. This project was expected to continue until January.
The $2.3 billion infrastructure project in New Orleans' French Quarter included the installation of new bollards on Bourbon Street to prevent mass casualty events identified as a potential threat by the FBI in the popular tourist area.
The area's security recommendations include street cameras, a central command center, improved lighting, and high-quality bollards, which are also used by the U.S. government near its official buildings.
Bill Daly, a former FBI official and security and risk management adviser, stated on Planet Chronicle Digital that the "Achilles' heel" in the Jan. 1 tragedy was that the temporary measures used on New Year's Eve did not provide the same level of protection as was previously intended, designed, and envisioned in the 2017 report.
"The New York City Police Department in Times Square uses temporary barricades to close off all the side streets leading to Times Square," Daly stated.
In New York City, authorities use cement blocks on the sidewalk and in the middle of the street as temporary barricades, as well as vehicles like garbage trucks and dump trucks to block the road.
Some city council members plan to conduct their own investigations into the security measures on the morning of the attack, in addition to the investigation by Murrill.
Murrill stated to NOLA.com that she has conversed with City Council member Helena Moreno, District Attorney Jason Williams, and other officials regarding her plans for a comprehensive review of security.
She stated that everyone is dedicated to obtaining a comprehensive understanding of what occurred and what changes are necessary to prevent a recurrence of the incident.
Planet Chronicle Digital's request for comment on the matter was not immediately responded to by Murrill's office.
This report was contributed to by Audrey Conklin, Garrett Tenney, and Ashley Papa of Planet Chronicle Digital.
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