Former New York Police Department Chief Bill Bratton completes analysis on French Quarter security

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Former New York Police Department Chief William Bratton has completed his assessment of New Orleans security after working with the New Orleans Police Department through the Super Bowl and Carnival.

According to New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation Chairman of the Board Darrah Schaefer, these recommendations will start with a hardening of the French Quarter, primarily on Bourbon Street.

“The focus was on vehicle ramming incidents once again because of the January 1 attack. They did do a scan for French Quarter Festival while they were in town. They were in town for six to eight weeks. It was a team of six to eight of them at all times and these are the top security experts possibly in the world,” Schaefer said.

Schaefer says Teneo’s best safety recommendation to harden Bourbon Street will be to restrict vehicle traffic significantly, except for required deliveries or emergency services. However, the conversation about what system works best is still up for discussion.

“We have to have people man the gates for example to raise and lower them and have an understanding for what types of vehicles the type of day that works best,” Schaefer said.

Balancing accessibility and safety is key to some business owners on Bourbon Street, such as Patrick’s Bar Vin owner Patrick Van Hoorebeek, who says compromises may be needed if they want to secure Bourbon Street for the future.

“I believe that we can find a way to adjust that and maybe start to do the delivery in the morning like starting at 6 o’clock. I know all those guys and delivery drivers are going to hate me for saying that but that’s the thing. It’s got to be a compromise,” Van Hoorebeek said.

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