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CNN
09-04-2025
- CNN
Most of Bourbon Street should be closed to cars following New Orleans truck attack, report recommends
Most of New Orleans' Bourbon Street should be closed off to vehicles, creating a permanent pedestrian plaza, a report recommends, three months after a truck plowed into a New Year's Day crowd, killing 14 people and injuring at least 35. The tragedy took place in the city's bustling French Quarter, which had no strong barriers to protect the area from speeding vehicles like that 6,000-pound truck, CNN previously reported. The report released by the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation (NOPJF) said an 'elevated threat environment demands a new security approach for the French Quarter for everyday business operations.' The mass killing raised questions about how the city secured Bourbon Street and how a heavy-duty truck was able to drive onto one of the most pedestrian-heavy roads in the US. The report was prepared by global consulting firm Teneo, whose risk advisory arm is led by former New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton, and the review was carried out by a risk assessment team composed of a group of counterterrorism and police experts who conducted dozens of interviews. CNN has reached out to the city of New Orleans for comment. The assessment found Bourbon Street is 'extremely vulnerable to a vehicle ramming attack any time of year' and that such attacks remain a persistent security threat. The city's staffing shortages, inadequate vehicle barriers, along with weak interagency coordination and collaboration have challenged its ability to address 'growing threats,' said the report. The New Orleans Police Department should establish a plan marking the locations of vehicle barriers throughout the city and covering key intersections, while also considering placing 'all available metal barriers' throughout the city, the report says. It also recommends the police department 'review its officer placement along the parade route and throughout the French Quarter to ensure that officers are regularly positioned throughout the routes rather than grouping together and leaving several blocks without police personnel.' Additional officers should be placed at 'key locations,' it says, to create a 'highly visible show of security and overall sense of safety.' Trash bins should be removed from parade routes, it continues, due to the risk of a 'nefarious actor placing a weapon or IED' along the route. In a statement, the NOPJF said: 'The loss of innocent lives, the terror unleashed upon our beloved city, and the enduring pain felt by countless families demand nothing less than an honest evaluation of our security systems, our community's trust, and our law enforcement practices.' The statement acknowledges 'progress is needed' and says some of Teneo's suggested security measures 'should only be implemented after careful consideration for the needs of the citizens of our unique city.' The attack came after a private security consulting firm warned in a 2019 report that the risk of terrorism in the French Quarter – specifically mass shootings and vehicular attacks – remained 'highly possible while moderately probable.' That 2019 report strongly recommended safety structures known as bollards –– vertical posts that can be anchored in place or move up and down –– be fixed and improved 'immediately.' In addition to the missing sturdy bollards, which were under repair, the city's portable steel barriers were in the down position during New Year's celebrations, CNN previously reported. The attacker, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, visited the city twice in the months prior and used Meta smart glasses to film the street and plan out the attack, according to the FBI. Jabbar, a 42-year-old Army veteran who had pledged allegiance to ISIS, drove a pickup truck into the crowd just after 3 a.m. and then opened fire, the FBI said. The vehicle ultimately crashed into a cherry picker forklift, and Jabbar was killed in a shootout with police. Mayor LaToya Cantrell held a news conference Monday to announce public safety measures ahead of the city's French Quarter Fest, which will begin on Thursday and last through Sunday. Road closures will be in place throughout the French Quarter, banning vehicles on Bourbon Street, along with several others. 'We are built to host and ready to show the world that we are a welcoming, safe city and open for business,' Cantrell said in a statement.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Bourbon Street should be closed to traffic, security report recommends
A security review commissioned in the wake of the deadly New Year's Day terror attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans recommends closing off a majority of the historic corridor to traffic and turning it into a permanent pedestrian zone. The report from former New York City Police Chief Bill Bratton and his global consulting firm Teneo, obtained by CBS affiliate WWL-TV, recommends making approximately eight blocks along Bourbon Street a pedestrian zone, from Canal to Dumaine Street. "Teneo Risk remains firm that restructuring Bourbon Street as a permanent pedestrian plaza is the safest and most secure way to mitigate against a future vehicle ramming attack on Bourbon Street and the immediate cross street corners feeding into Bourbon Street," said the report. The recommendation is likely to face pushback as New Orleans business owners and residents opposed a similar idea last month, according to WWL-TV. Teneo's security report is only a recommendation and city officials will make the final decision on future safety precautions. "Ultimately, it is up to the city and the community to determine its risk tolerance for a solution and configuration that deviates from our recommendation," the report states. It also recommends deploying individual police officers along more blocks of parade routes, increasing the use of barricades, drone surveillance and video surveillance, as well as removing all trash containers from the parade route to prevent potential placement of bombs. The report was commissioned after the deadly New Year's Day terror attack on Bourbon Street when a man intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers. Fourteen people were killed before the attacker died in a shootout with police. Dozens of others were injured in the attack. Weapons and two potential improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, were found in the vehicle, authorities said. FBI bomb technicians also found two functional IEDs in coolers in the area. The suspect was seen placing the devices in surveillance video footage, FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said at the time. Both devices were rendered safe, and two other items were determined to not be IEDs, he said. Supreme Court pauses order mandating return of Maryland man deported to El Salvador What is a bear market and how will Trump's tariffs effect small businesses? RFK Jr. wants CDC to stop recommending fluoride in water
CBS News
09-04-2025
- CBS News
New Orleans' Bourbon Street should be closed to traffic after deadly truck attack, security report recommends
A security review commissioned in the wake of the deadly New Year's Day terror attack on Bourbon Street recommended in a report closing off a majority of the historic corridor to traffic and turning it into a permanent pedestrian zone. The report obtained by CBS affiliate WWL-TV recommends making approximately eight blocks along Bourbon Street a pedestrian zone, from Canal to Dumaine Street. "Teneo Risk remains firm that restructuring Bourbon Street as a permanent pedestrian plaza is the safest and most secure way to mitigate against a future vehicle ramming attack on Bourbon Street and the immediate cross street corners feeding into Bourbon Street," said the report from former New York City Police Chief Bill Bratton and his global consulting firm Teneo. The recommendation is likely to face pushback as New Orleans business owners and residents opposed a similar idea last month, according to WWL-TV. Teneo's security report is only a recommendation and city officials will make the final decision on future safety precautions. "Ultimately, it is up to the city and the community to determine its risk tolerance for a solution and configuration that deviates from our recommendation," the report states. It also recommends deploying individual police officers along more blocks of parade routes, increasing the use of barricades, drone surveillance and video surveillance, as well as removing all trash containers from the parade route to prevent potential placement of bombs. The report was commissioned after the deadly New Year's Day terror attack on Bourbon Street when a man intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers. Weapons and two potential improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, were located in the vehicle, authorities said. FBI bomb technicians also found two functional IEDs in coolers in the area. The suspect was seen placing the devices in surveillance video footage, FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said. Both devices were rendered safe, and two other items were determined to not be IEDs, he said. At least 14 people were killed before the attacker died in a shootout with police. Dozens of others were injured in the attack.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
New Orleans police connect burglaries at homes ‘For Sale'
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The New Orleans Police Department has connected two burglaries that occurred at homes that were for sale. The cases are the latest ones to roll on the Wheel of Justice. According to police, the most recent case happened around 7:30 p.m. on March 2 in the 4600 block of Willow Street. They say a stainless-steel kitchen stove was stolen. NOPD searching for burglary suspects who stole refrigerator The first case happened around 3:00 a.m. on Feb. 12 in the 600 block of David Street. In this case, a refrigerator was stolen. Police also released security camera footage that shows much of what happened in each burglary. In both cases, a white pickup is seen backing up to the front porches of the homes so the stolen appliances could be loaded into the bed. Also, both homes had for sale signs in the yard. New details in stolen Baphomet statue in Lower Garden District To see the latest Wheel of Justice report, including the security camera footage, watch the video at the top of this story. If you have any information that could help police identify or locate the thieves, call CrimeStoppers at 504-822-1111. You don't have to reveal your name or testify in court, and you could be eligible to earn a cash reward. So far, more than 475 people have been booked after their cases rolled on the Wheel of Orleans police connect burglaries at homes 'For Sale' Dense fog advisory in effect early Tuesday Former New York Police Department Chief Bill Bratton completes analysis on French Quarter security Pelicans use balanced scoring to send the 76ers to their 5th straight loss, 112-99 Expert discusses tariff effects on New Orleans consumers Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
