Aiexpress – Officials stated security barricades on Bourbon Street had been malfunctioning and were being updated before a man rammed his vehicle into a gathering of New Year’s revelers in New Orleans, killing 15 people.
The older barriers, known as bollards, were being updated in preparation for the city’s hosting of Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, which will take place about a mile from where the incident occurred, according to New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell during a news conference Wednesday afternoon. The city was able to fund the bollard replacement project through the Super Bowl infrastructure program.
“Bollards were not up because they are near completion, with the expectation of being completed by Super Bowl — way before Super Bowl,” Cantrell told ESPN.
The earlier bollards were put in 2017 as part of a $40 million security strategy to limit car access and safeguard pedestrians in the region. According to NOLA.com, the city’s bollard system included sets of four bollards installed on either side of the Bourbon crossroads.
According to NOLA.com, the inner two columns may also be pulled back when unlocked by a ground-level control panel, allowing cars to drive through a 13-foot-wide berth.
However, the bollards began to malfunction shortly after the system was deployed because they were clogged with Mardi Gras beads, Cantrell said at Wednesday’s news conference.
“The New Orleans Police Department deemed them inefficient because they did not operate the way that they were intended to do,” Cantrell told reporters. “Because the city of New Orleans is hosting Super Bowl this year, it gave the city of New Orleans an opportunity to go further and deeper with infrastructure improvements.”
The bollards were installed in reaction to previous “vehicular attacks on pedestrian malls around the globe” as well as other violent episodes in the city’s historic French Quarter. A 2017 assessment commissioned by the city of New Orleans stated that the French Quarter “is often densely packed with pedestrians and represents an area where a mass casualty incident could occur.”
The study also stated that the neighborhood “presents a risk and target area for terrorism, which the FBI has identified as a concern that the city must address.”
Police superintendent: ‘We did indeed have a strategy, but the terrorists defeated it’
Authorities stated other security measures, including as additional barriers, patrol vehicles, and law enforcement officers, were put in place on Bourbon Street at the time of the attack. According to New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, around 400 officers have been deployed in the French Quarter within the last 24 hours.
Kirkpatrick stated that police were aware of the security concerns and “hardened those target areas where the bollards” were previously installed. Despite these efforts, the suspect in Wednesday’s incident was able to circumvent security procedures and drive onto the sidewalk, according to Kirkpatrick.
“We did have a plan, but the terrorist foiled it,” Kirkpatrick said during Wednesday’s news conference.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said officials will address the security concerns raised by the attack.
“We know we have a problem here, right? “We are going to fix it,” Landry stated. “It will be a primary priority as we head into the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras. And the answer that we’re going to come up with will be permanent; it will be added to the usual operating practice of hosting significant events and safeguarding that quarter.
New Orleans police said they will be prepared for upcoming events by deploying resources at a level comparable to previous recent significant events, such as the Taylor Swift performance. Police will also collaborate with local, state, and federal partners to ensure comprehensive security coverage throughout the city.
“Residents and visitors can expect to see a strong presence of marked and unmarked police vehicles, as well as officers on foot, bike, and horseback as part of the department’s Mounted Patrol,” Kirkpatrick told the newspaper. “This increased visibility will enhance public safety, provide crowd control, and allow for rapid response to any incidents.”
Construction of new bollards began in November
Bollards are short, vertical posts that serve as barriers to manage and control automobile or pedestrian traffic, according to metal maker The Federal Group USA. Posts are usually made of stainless steel, aluminum, or concrete.
According to the New Orleans Department of Public Works, the older bollards were removed and replaced as part of a city-wide operation that started in November. The original bollards had been installed along Bourbon Street, from Canal to St. Ann Street.
The Department of Public Works stated that temporary asphalt patches were installed where the previous bollards were removed to maintain vehicle access.
According to the agency, construction work would continue until February, including the replacement of “old bollards with new removable stainless-steel bollards and sidewalk repairs at various locations.” The government also noted that the new bollards may be safely fastened behind each crossing.
“The removable bollards will help close the street to cars during pedestrian-only times but will be stored away when the street is open to all traffic,” according to the department.
