Will Mardi Gras 2025 be the safest in New Orleans metro history? One Carnival expert says: absolutely.
"I predict this will be the safest one ever," Mardi Gras Guide founder Arthur Hardy said. "There will be so much attention put over us."
Hardy told WWL's Tommy Tucker that the police presence along the New Orleans parade routes will be heavy because of the Bourbon Street terror attack. While patrols will be stepped up this year, Hardy says revelers can help police and themselves in maintaining safety at parades.
"If you see something, say something. I saw a guy with a mask carrying a bag. The opportunities for bad guys to do bad things are enormous. We just have to be as vigilent and diligent as we can and go on."
According to Hardy, 1,088 floats roll in the various parades that happen in Orleans and two surrounding parishes. That, he says, gives bad actors 1,088 opportunities to cause mass disruption during Carnival celebrations. Hardy believes the behind-the-scenes work of local law enforcement will reduce the chances of any calamities happening at a parade.
"It'll be the things we don't see that may make us the safest," Hardy said.
And to those who believe canceling Carnival is the only way to have a safe Mardi Gras, Hardy had this to say: "Don't tell us what to do."