New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is seeking federal assistance on security plans for the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras.
“We are asking for a tactical expert to be in the City of New Orleans this week to go over all of our plans that have been put in place by a unified command that we’ve been working on this literally for months on end,” said Mayor Cantrell during an FBI news conference on Sunday.
Cantrell says one of the things she’d like the tactical expert to do is to determine whether the city’s plans for bollards on Bourbon Street are sufficient to prevent another tragedy like the one that happened early on New Year’s Day.
“The thorough assessment I’m asking for will determine if in fact they’re strong enough,” said Cantrell. “This is about making sure that all assets are deployed strategically to harden any target areas for public safety.”
Today, President Biden has granted Mayor Cantrell’s request that Mardi Gras be upgraded to a SEAR 1 event, the highest Special Event Assessment Rating by the Department of Homeland Security.
“I have full confidence that the City of New Orleans not only is safe,” said Cantrell, “(but) we will continue to be safe days, weeks and months ahead.”
SEAR 1 events are events that require extensive federal interagency support.
The Super Bowl is already designated as a SEAR 1 event.
Comments