This Mardi Gras has looked and felt different than past years. A large part of that has to do with the additional security in place following the terror attack in New Orleans.
Colin Arnold, New Orleans Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness spoke to WWL’s Dave Cohen discussing the additional security in place for this year’s Mardi Gras celebrations and the implementation of these new rules with finite resources available.
Arnold emphasizes that the public being onboard with these measures and remaining helpful when it comes to enforcement is key to the success of both the parades going forward and public safety. “We do realize that the resources we have are finite. We cannot be everywhere all the time,” Arnold emphasizes. “A propane tank can do a lot of damage even accidentally, much less if someone were to try to cause intentional damage. Asking for the public’s assistance is critical to our success, so please don’t bring things out there that could be a danger to the public,” he goes on to say.
While Arnold asks for the public’s help in enforcing these measures, he also understands the new obstacles may be a pain to adjust to for many. He emphasized that he hopes the long-term goal of public safety will become easier as compliance with these measures becomes more commonplace.