Following the New Year’s terrorist attack on Bourbon Street, which killed 14 and injured dozens more, law enforcement officials are increasing security ahead of Mardi Gras. The holiday’s celebrations recently received a Special Event Assessment Rating of 1, placing it in the same category as the Superbowl and presidential inaugurations. Despite the additional federal security funding this unlocks, Mardi Gras remains a uniquely difficult event to secure. 

April Overman, a professor in the School of Professional Advancement at Tulane and former New Orleans Police Department captain said, “The biggest challenge with securing events like Mardi Gras is that it’s not in a confined area.” 

Parade routes can be miles long, passing by hundreds of private buildings. 

“You can’t have a metal detector every single corner of a parade route, that’s not going to work,” Overman said. 

Mardi Gras will see an increased law enforcement presence this year. 

“We are deploying a sea of blue — a visible and strategic law enforcement presence — across parade routes, entertainment districts and high-traffic areas,” Reese Harper, director of communications at NOPD, said in a statement. 

According to the mayor’s office, other visible security measures will include a serpentine course, which is a series of barriers cars must navigate around to mitigate high speeds, on St. Charles Avenue. Federal support will come from eleven different agencies which will provide intelligence analysis and specialist capabilities, such as air support and tactical teams. 

The NOPD will also be supported by law enforcement agencies from around the state.  

“What New Orleans has done and will do is bring in a lot of extra law enforcement agencies from around the state, which, again, will help NOPD do this, and there’ll also be federal help with that too,” Michael Wallace, the program director of emergency and security studies at Tulane and a former military intelligence officer, said.  

Additionally, larger changes will take place behind the scenes.  

“I think you’re going to see more changes that are not as visible, and that’s going to be things like a greater concentration of undercover personnel … in the crowd to pick up on conversations or to see those things that are going on in the background,” Overman said. 

According to the mayor’s office, over 100 NOPD officers will be deployed undercover in crowds. 

In addition to the increased security, new city ordinances prohibiting upholstered furniture, tents and generators will be enforced by the NOPD. 

“We will also enforce newly passed [New Orleans] City Council regulations to maintain order while preserving the spirit of Mardi Gras,” Harper said. 

However, some are concerned that overzealous enforcement could damage cooperation between the public and law enforcement.  

“If the community does not support those officers, if the community is angry at them because they won’t let me set up the area that my family has set up before my great grandmother’s time, then that person’s not going to be as amenable to the rules that are very necessary,” Overman said. 

Community support is critical for law enforcement to prevent a terrorist attack.  

“The most valuable tool that local law enforcement has when it comes to preventing a terrorist event or incident, it’s going to be those millions of eyes that are out there on the street,” Overman said. 

Tulane University Police Department plans to increase its presence on campus.  

“TUPD is preparing to implement its all-hands-on-deck plan for Thursday, February 27 through Carnival Day. This includes additional security for student residence halls and strategic personnel deployment to achieve maximum patrol coverage at peak hours,” TUPD Chief Frank Young said in a statement. 

Plans on and around Tulane’s campus include a heavy police presence on Broadway Street until Carnival Day and the deployment of four light towers to illuminate dark, high-traffic areas. 

Students and members of the Tulane community should remain vigilant and take measures to protect themselves and their property.  

“Be aware that professional pickpockets come from all over the country to prey on revelers in the thickest of crowds,” Young said. “If you see something that’s weird or out of place or somebody’s not acting right, let somebody know, you’re not narcing on the person, not squealing on the person, but it’s just keeping everyone else safe,” Wallace said.  

The risk of a terrorist attack during any event, Mardi Gras included, is exceptionally low and the authorities are well prepared to ensure Mardi Gras is secure.  

“The City of New Orleans has done Mardi Gras for many, many, many years, and they’re pretty good at it,” Wallace said. 

Overman emphasizes that, most of all, it’s important to enjoy Mardi Gras.  

“Don’t let that fear destroy your enjoyment, because when you do that, the terrorists win,” Overman said.