[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6389362,"mediaKeyId","2113396-08fe89bc1c94addf35f07b371b3a6aa4","parentId",2113396,"title","Council holds wide-ranging security discussion after New Year’s Day attack; chief announces outside expert and investigators probe response","audioSeconds",5290,"startMs",1977300,"endMs",7267470,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2113396-08fe89bc1c94addf35f07b371b3a6aa4&start=1977&end=7267","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2113396-08fe89bc1c94addf35f07b371b3a6aa4/thumbnail_1977300.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6389362/New-Orleans-City/Orleans-Parish/Louisiana/Council-holds-wide-ranging-security-discussion-after-New-Years-Day-attack-chief-announces-outside-expert-and-investigators-probe-response","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6389362-7dbc68b60c76a6059bd132b59e801a7e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163689&Signature=XJC2VxJdTx3QXoqD1wdFhVQztLsFQGILsKDDBOKQ2InvWt1Xs2HLQFThDNM0smG~PqeKJi5oCYwKNZ52H4cxVuwMCEHtqtvZjYdT8BJCs1Sh83n9pog7to7Uz5MvNHFYBsKHNHfaInac13RL9TcWN96LmLTv5RiwFilavtPQpin2CUJWsszILdeICqUcVaHVIAgbWmDbKq9Q9RfPVfnjnVEVq4Fqc8RG5iaOsekwZUVbd1BJ5dNAA-g8og4GLPWbPk-BG2-m9IkLKg2vpl-zGgUHR~YAsRoiPAgk2qiLTkNaXEP~tlFlyyOy0e9oEhPpmsB3xEmgiw0T7aZ2DOt1WQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Orleans City Council","date","2025-01-08T00:00:00Z","article","City Council members, the police chief and department heads held an extended discussion on security measures following the January 1 terrorist attack in the French Quarter, reviewing immediate response, potential hardening measures and next steps for investigation and victim assistance.

New Orleans Police Department Chief Kirkpatrick told the council the department will cooperate with investigations and announced an outside expert will be brought in. “I will always put the victims first,” Chief Kirkpatrick said, adding that she had invited former New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton to assist as an expert on terrorism and hard-targeting; she said Bratton agreed to participate and that his engagement will be a citywide effort, paid for by a partner organization.

Rick Hathaway, director of the Department of Public Works, said DPW’s role is to provide infrastructure for security measures in coordination with law enforcement and other agencies. “DPW’s mission is to assist and provide infrastructure, for security measures, in allegiance with the NOPD and Homeland Security,” Hathaway said.

Council members and members of the public pressed for clarity about the condition and inventory of physical safety assets — bollards, wedges and other physical barriers — and whether the city’s emergency operations center (EOC) was activated. Staff said some assessments exist but that the cadence and location of inventories and maintenance are managed across departments and outside agencies; officials told the council they would follow up. Council members also said the council will open its own review and that the state attorney general and the FBI have active investigations.

Victim assistance and community support were described as immediate priorities. A council member noted some victims remained hospitalized: “There are 8 victims remaining at University Medical Center,” a council member said during remarks. City officials and local nonprofits described rapidly deployed victim services and an emergency fund raised through philanthropic partners; council members urged that funds be distributed quickly and with minimal red tape.

Public commenters called for faster execution of existing plans and for durable street infrastructure to prevent vehicle-ramming attacks. Speakers urged pedestrianizing parts of the French Quarter, restoring and maintaining bollards, improving interagency coordination, and ensuring that consultants paid by philanthropic groups are available for public briefings. “We can't believe our way out of crazy driving and reckless driving and cool driving after the fact. We've got to build the infrastructure as a community,” public speaker Naomi Jones said. Others asked that any outside consultants’ findings be shared with council committees and the public.

The council discussed governance and coordination across multiple agencies — NOPD, Department of Public Works, Homeland Security, emergency management and the French Quarter Management District — and called for an inventory of the city’s protective assets and an agreed activation plan for large events. Several council members emphasized the need for timely, public investigations and transparent reporting. Chief Kirkpatrick said she will cooperate with investigators and will provide limited answers at the committee meeting while fuller after-action reviews proceed.

Why it matters: The committee discussion follows a mass attack that killed and injured multiple people and raises immediate questions about event security, interagency coordination, asset readiness and support for victims. Council members signaled that both operational fixes (barriers, EOC activation, training) and oversight actions (investigations, public briefings) are needed.

Next steps: Chief Kirkpatrick said she will hold a press briefing and bring in outside expertise; council chairs said they will pursue a council investigation into infrastructure and procurement questions. City staff committed to follow up on inventories and maintenance responsibilities for protective assets and to coordinate with state and federal partners on security for upcoming events.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Public Works & Criminal Justice Committee Meeting 1/8/2025","oneSentenceSummary","City Council members, the police chief and agency directors discussed emergency security measures and investigations after the January 1 French Quarter attack, and the police chief said she had invited former New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton to advise the city.","taxTitle","New Orleans City, Orleans Parish, Louisiana","taxId",3651,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6389367,"Council accepts federal reconnecting-communities grant to add pedestrian and bike connections in New Orleans East",1971,4721,1976600,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2113396-08fe89bc1c94addf35f07b371b3a6aa4&start=4&end=1976","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2113396-08fe89bc1c94addf35f07b371b3a6aa4/thumbnail_4721.jpg","/articles/6389367/New-Orleans-City/Orleans-Parish/Louisiana/Council-accepts-federal-reconnecting-communities-grant-to-add-pedestrian-and-bike-connections-in-New-Orleans-East","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6389367-6c47413a36b258ae66faa48dd91e143d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163689&Signature=DU6TJPn5WNCcFV9QOvpGEDKa45TOAcos2e48Jx~jViHMDm8onWiK3xdOnNn93iRgHzh9fhGotYVfmnoalQL3DUAGW5l0K~o2wKSbGUO96lrv3HgU9bmaTBCfjOKn6qbsOB9FO1hDhDmSPUssY7vPV1k27itg6ja1CGbD0q~JftyIiunygQEMF4IgSaDxG~bZHglpKN~pAy5-GWfqhh248QwddhDrUAWGddS0nQhWvsKsGw~eotBaY78liQ9lYkbxuxFJAO5n1Tj38Zf7yn5mSZFJlDDjIm9x9bfLUPhdjONBSTQVwjHTuZHK9w8XPsoJE6xbet28YrqpVI~2hziUZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The New Orleans City Council voted to accept a federal Reconnecting Communities grant to build pedestrian and bicycle connections across service roads and interstates in New Orleans East, officials said.

City staff said the federally funded program includes community-driven design work, public meetings and a five-year performance period managed by Federal Highway Administration. “So we began, it was really important to the city to have a community engagement process when we were undertaking the feasibility study,” a city staff member said during the presentation.

The grant will fund a feasibility-to-construction sequence: an 18-month design and community engagement and bidding phase, with a September 2026 milestone that staff said is an obligation in the grant agreement; anticipated construction was described as fall 2026 through fall 2029. “The grant period is for a performance time of 5 years, and that is very, very specifically managed by federal highways,” the staff member said. Staff also said the grant funds technical assistance through the Reconnecting Communities Institute and that consultant contracts selected through requests for proposals will require Council approval.

The council discussion and public comments focused on where new connections would link residents to daily destinations and whether the city has budgeted for long-term upkeep. Council Member Morel asked about maintenance costs for bridges and overhead walkways, citing concerns that poorly maintained structures can fall into disrepair: “It really would be helpful for you to let us know what the ongoing maintenance cost might be so that we can budget for those,” Morel said. Community speakers and organizations, including Orleans Ghost Bikes and the Complete Streets Coalition, urged approval and pointed to pedestrian fatalities along service roads as a reason to improve crossings.

Presenters said community input informed the selected connection points. A member of the public who participated in the feasibility process described mapping sessions that identified destinations not visible on a standard map. “A lot of the destinations that are listed since the second connect were determined at these meetings with our community and the locals who live in these communities with a map with post it,” Arlene Laspagna, executive director at IKC, said.

Council members also asked how changes to the grant scope would be handled. Staff said significant scope changes would require U.S. Department of Transportation approval and could reduce or remove related federal funding. “If you remove a component of the grant, funding gets removed as a result,” a staff member said.

The motion to accept the grant was moved and seconded on the council floor; a roll-call tally was not recorded in the public transcript and the presiding officer announced, “Ayes have it, so ordered.” The council will return for approval when consultant agreements are presented.

Why it matters: City staff described the project as a multi-year, federally managed program that moves from concept (feasibility) to design and construction with explicit federal deadlines and required approvals. The council and residents emphasized maintenance, transit access and the need for detailed design-phase public meetings before specific structures or crossings are finalized.

Next steps: Staff said they will return to the council after a consultant is selected. The design phase, public engagement, and request-for-proposal work will be completed before construction procurement. The grant agreement obligates a September 2026 design milestone and a five-year project performance period managed by the Federal Highway Administration.","The City Council voted to accept a federal Reconnecting Communities grant to fund pedestrian and bicycle connections across service roads in New Orleans East, launching a five-year federally managed design-and-construction timeline and additional community engagement.","actionData","errors"]

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Council holds wide-ranging security discussion after New Year’s Day attack; chief announces outside expert and investigators probe response

Council accepts federal reconnecting-communities grant to add pedestrian and bike connections in New Orleans East