Politics and dispute affect security in New Orleans French Quarter

Politics and dispute affect security in New Orleans French Quarter

A consulting company found in 2019 that the security in the French quarter of New Orleans was affected by political conflicts between various law enforcement authorities, private security services and other interest groups. The report received by CNN draws a picture of a city, the dysfunctionality of which is significantly limited its ability to protect the historic quarter.

Security in the French quarter: a lack of cooperation

The report of the private security company Interfor International Pollers on the Bourbon Street recommended that after the tragic truck robbery for New Year, in which 14 people were killed and many were injured, particularly prophetic.

internal conflicts and security problems

CNN has received the complete confidential version of Interfors report, while many details about the suspected interagency problems have already been published in a shorter public version that has been available online since 2020. However, this public version does not contain the detailed concerns about vehicle wing or the more extensive risks of terrorism.

Interfor International found that “internal politics and argumenting parties” were an important hurdle for the efforts of the interest groups involved to improve security in the quarter. "During our time with the various actors in the FQ, we witnesses to intrigue and mutual allegations, whereby we were repeatedly reminded of the‘ red lines ’, which would immediately dispose of every proposal or initiative to fail, no matter how insignificant they were in reality," the report says.

the need for a common strategy

Although this is traditionally not in the context of a security assessment, interpressing it sees as its responsibility to illuminate this dynamic. "Perhaps this external perspective will inspire those involved, to rethink their positions and to work on a common goal that is in truth to everyone," explains the report.

A person who is described in the report as “an influential, long -standing business owner from New Orleans” said that the merger of the security resources was “a dream” and added: “They hate each other.”

reactions and future measures

cnn the fqmd asked for a comment. This was founded by the state legislative according to hurricane Katrina to support the improvement and preservation of the French quarter. The report was commissioned to check the security in the district and to make recommendations to achieve the desired level of safety.

In a statement to CNN, the FQMD explained: “The strength of our ongoing partnership with the city and the New Orleans police allows an open exchange about the concerns of residents and business owners as well as about the results of studies or reports."

The challenges of security in the quarter

Interfor found that the security situation in the French quarter in 2019 was “treated from fragmented approaches” and described the roles and perceptions of about a dozen law enforcement and security authorities who are jointly responsible for the security of the region. Most stakeholders had a positive opinion about some authorities, including the New Orleans police, which, however, had to deal with personnel problems at that time.

Interfor-CEO Don Aviv compared the various authorities and interest groups with “fiefs”, in which everyone fought for funds and control in a less than a square mile. "Realistically speaking, the NOPD should have command and control over the entire area," said Aviv, "but they lack resources and there are so much arguments among the other authorities that there are too many cooks in the kitchen."

recommendations to improve security

It is unclear which - if at all - recommendations have been implemented by interfors. Aviv said that after the report was published, his company never heard from the city, even though they had recommended a re -assessment and an offer for further consultations. In view of the recent events and the associated security concerns, the city has already started implementing the recommended security improvements to ensure a high level of security.

The city of New Orleans, under the direction of Mayor Latoya Cantrell, plans to improve the bollards on Bourbon Street. These bollards, which were originally supposed to offer protection, were in no way at this time. The mayor announced that it will consult an expert taximizer to check whether these bollards are sufficient.

Security in the French quarter remains a major challenge that requires comprehensive and coordinated measures to offer both the residents and visitors a safe environment.