New Orleans Struggles to Secure Bourbon Street After Deadly Truck Attack
The city of New Orleans had begun replacing security barriers along Bourbon Street before Wednesday’s truck attack, which killed at least 10 people and injured more than 30. However, officials conceded that a stop-gap security plan did not work, as the suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was able to drive around a police car and onto the sidewalk.
The city had been in the process of removing and replacing the barriers, known as bollards, which restrict vehicle traffic in the Bourbon Street pedestrian zone. The bollards had first been installed in 2017 ahead of the NBA All-Star game as part of a $40 million security plan.
New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said during a press conference that the prior barriers had suffered malfunction issues, and the police vehicle was not able to stop the suspect’s vehicle. “We did indeed have a plan, but the terrorists defeated it,” she said.
The city was able to fund the replacement bollards as part of its Super Bowl infrastructure plan. The new bollards are removable, stainless-steel barriers that can be securely locked behind each crosswalk.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said the state will address security issues raised by the truck attack. “We recognize we had a problem right here, right. We’re going to fix it,” he said. “It’s going to be a top priority as we go into the Super Bowl.”
A 2017 report commissioned by the city noted that the French Quarter “is often densely packed with pedestrians and represents an area where a mass casualty incident could occur.” The report also identified the area as a risk and target area for terrorism that the FBI has identified as a concern that the city must address.