Earlier today Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced changes to parade route changes for some Mardi Gras krewes for 2022. Obviously, this had a lot to do with public safety, and New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said that the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office would assist with escorting the carnival krewes. I helped out for a number of years and understand the challenges. I also understand that some Carnival krewes may be impacted more than others - but we have to let go of our emotional attachment to these routes.
I don't think that the staffing shortage in the NOPD is contrived. We talk about it on the show all the time. There's a reluctance by surrounding law enforcement agencies to work in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, because they have a lot of their own parades going on as well. The pandemic has reduced staffing in pretty much every department across the state of Louisiana. There hadn't been any that I'm aware of that have been completely immune to staff reduction. I’ve staffed parade routes for the vast majority of my career, and I don’t believe these new routes are backed up by good, solid evidence that match what the challenges are.
We all ought to focus on the fact that both the Mayor and the Chief Ferguson mentioned that the adjustments are temporary. We are in times right now that are different. This ‘defund the police’ mentality of these social justice warriors in this country, record numbers of retirements and high attrition rate of police departments all helped necessitate Mayor Cantrell’s press conference today. It's all impacted by the social climate that we find ourselves in.
Honestly, I was moved by the Mayor’s encouraging words as it relates to the route changes. Not every Carnival krewe got exactly what they wanted, but at least we’re having Mardi Gras. But the thing about these “temporary” adjustments is that we will be facing these challenges for a long time. The police staffing shortage is not over and it'll still be present in 2023. To what extent, only time will tell.