By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- New Orleans — Ahead of New Year’s Eve and the Sugar Bowl, officials will deploy nearly 800 local, state and federal personnel, including the Louisiana National Guard, to the French Quarter/downtown security zone. Police1
- Street closures & screening: Bourbon St. will be sealed inside an enhanced security zone with bag checks and traffic redirection; Poydras St. closes after the Sugar Bowl; Canal St. closures possible as needed. Police1
- Anniversary context: Measures come one year after the Jan. 2025 Bourbon Street terror attack that killed 14; the city is maintaining heightened posture through Mardi Gras. Police1
- Risk rating: DHS denied the city’s request to upgrade the events to SEAR 1 (they remain SEAR 3), but federal partners are adding personnel and resources. Police1
- Public spaces: Crescent Park will close at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 (normally open until 1 a.m.) to reduce crowd-management risk. Police1
NEW ORLEANS — City leaders outlined an expanded security footprint for New Year’s Eve and the Sugar Bowl, bringing in the Louisiana National Guard alongside NOPD, State Police and federal partners to harden the French Quarter and downtown—a plan officials say reflects lessons learned from last year’s terrorist attack on Bourbon Street. The combined deployment will put close to 800 officers and agents on the ground. Police1
At a Monday briefing, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said the city is “leveraging all of our law enforcement resources” as teams erect an enhanced security zone on Bourbon Street with bag screening and traffic diversions. Poydras Streetwill be closed to vehicles from Claiborne Ave. to Tchoupitoulas St. after the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl, and portions of Canal Street may be shut as crowd conditions warrant. Officials also moved to close Crescent Park at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 to limit additional high-density viewing areas. Police1
The city asked DHS to elevate the events to a SEAR 1 designation—opening the door to more federal assets like bomb-detection K-9s, drones and air support—but the request was denied; the events remain at SEAR 3. Even so, New Orleans’ homeland security chief Collin Arnold said federal partners are surging personnel and capabilities locally. Gov. Jeff Landry has also activated ~350 Guardsmen through Mardi Gras, with federal cost support. Police1
City statements emphasized the dual goals of public safety and crowd confidence during an emotionally charged anniversary week, noting that permanent vehicle barriers for Bourbon Street have yet to be installed and temporary steel barricades will be used again. Leaders urged visitors to arrive early, pack light, and expect screening at key choke points.