New Orleans tourism officials and others helping organize the Super Bowl scheduled to be held at the Caesars Superdome on Feb. 9 plan to review security arrangements in the wake of the Bourbon Street terrorism attack on New Year’s Day, officials said Wednesday.
A lone perpetrator drove a truck into revelers on Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year’s Day, killing 10 and injuring dozens of others. Initial investigations suggested a planned terrorist attack, according to law enforcement officials.
“The focus right now is on the investigation response, the care of victims and assessing what we need to do in the immediate wake of this horrific event,” said Walt Leger III, head of New Orleans & Company, the city’s official tourism marketing organization.
There are already plans for “enhanced activities” around the Superdome for Wednesday’s Allstate Sugar Bowl, he said. The game between Georgia and Notre Dame is scheduled to kick off on Wednesday at 7:45 p.m. CT as part of the College Football Playoffs.
“There will be more deep conversations in the coming days and weeks to discuss possible enhancements for the Super Bowl,” Leger added. “We had a great plan in place and certainly when there is an event like this it makes you look and see what further enhancements might be made.”
Michael Hecht, the CEO of GNO Inc., the regional economic development agency and chair of the Super Bowl’s infrastructure committee, said Wednesday that he was heading back to New Orleans early for meetings to review plans for the event.
The Super Bowl is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city. All Super Bowls are designated “Special Event Assessment Rating Level 1” events, which means the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, requires significant federal coordination due to their national and international importance.
DHS, the FBI, local law enforcement and private security teams typically coordinate security measures. Those include advanced screening technologies at event entry points, controlled airspace, counter-terrorism units on standby, crowd control and evacuation measures.
Metropolitan Crime Commission Board Chairman Gregory Rusovich said he is confident, with five weeks to go, that the city will be prepared to safely host the Super Bowl.
“I don’t think you can blame New Orleans for a terrorist act. Every city is vulnerable to that threat. That is why Homeland Security and the FBI are leading things,” Rusovich said. “Now, we will double down between local, state and federal law enforcement to protect visitors and locals for Super Bowl.”
Gov. Jeff Landry has said the state will play a major role in Super Bowl preparations, including security, promising that “New Orleans will be one of the safest cities in the country” by game day.
Businessman Shane Guidry, Landry’s close confidant who advises the administration on public safety in New Orleans, said Wednesday that the attack calls for a reevaluation of Super Bowl security plans.
“Obviously, if this is tied to a larger terrorist plot, we need to rethink security measures for Super Bowl,” he said. “But I think we can do it safely, with local, state and federal law enforcement working together.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.