In New Orleans, an investigation by The Guardian has revealed shocking failures in public safety measures during major events, particularly New Year’s Day celebrations. Despite public safety plans that were touted prior to these gatherings, local government officials did not fully enact measures such as shutting down vehicular cross traffic on Bourbon Street nearly 90 times, nor did they place physical barriers to prevent motorists from turning onto the street. This oversight left pedestrians vulnerable and may have contributed to a deadly truck attack that occurred on Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day 2025. The attack, carried out by a US military veteran sympathetic to the Islamic State, resulted in 14 deaths and nearly 60 injuries, and exposed a years-long lack of adequate anti-vehicle barriers along the street. The investigation, based on thousands of timestamped images from web cameras, showed that for 73% of days examined, private vehicles were still seen crossing Bourbon Street during times that were supposed to be restricted. This lack of enforcement of street closures and barrier placement continued, despite warnings from federal counter-terrorism officials and a similar vehicle attack in Germany in December of the same year. The findings raise critical questions about the effectiveness of the city’s public safety measures and the protection of taxpayers and festival-goers during special events.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/02/new-orleans-public-safety-measures