Tommy Tucker spoke to Collin Arnold, Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for the City of New Orleans, about what safety measures will be in place as French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest loom on the horizon and how they might change your experience of the festivals. Arnold was quick to point out that while changes have been made when it comes to festival security, most of the public shouldn’t notice them much.
Former New York police commissioner William Bratton has filed a long-anticipated report on city security, and officials are still reviewing the findings.
Arnold said city officials are taking recommendations from the report seriously as they implement security measures in the future.
“Since January 1st, event organizers like French Quarter Fest have reached out to the Bratton Group separately and asked for their input on events, and we’re very appreciative of them for identifying where they think there may be problems, especially when it comes to pedestrian and vehicle conflict,” Arnold emphasized.
The lead-up to these festivals is long, and the prep work done beforehand is extensive, according to Arnold.
“We start meeting with special event organizers months in advance, sometimes before they even have their permits filed, just to make sure there’s nothing new they’re planning. It also helps the festival organizers to have some assurance about having their event on the scheduled date and knowing about any big changes that might happen. There’s a lot of collaboration,” Arnold goes on to say.
Related
