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national guard Members are patrolling new orleans for new yearThis year the city marks the one-year anniversary of an attack by revelers on Bourbon Street that killed 14 people.
President authorizes deployment of National Guard to New Orleans Donald TrumpIt began on Tuesday as part of heavy security measures for New Year celebrations.
It comes after the Trump administration launched high-profile National Guard missions in other cities this year, including washington and memphis, tennessee. But seeing the National Guard army That’s not unusual in New Orleans, where troops helped beef up security at the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras earlier this year.
“This is no different than what we’ve seen in the past,” New Orleans police spokesman Reese Harper said. “They’re not here for immigration purposes. They’re here for increased visibility. It’s for visibility, just to really keep our citizens safe. This is just another tool in the toolbox and another layer of security.”
Harper said the Guard is expected to be restricted to the French Quarter, which is popular with tourists, and will not be involved in assisting immigration enforcement. Guardsmen will take similar action as they did earlier this year when they patrolled the area around Bourbon Street following the Jan. 1 vehicle ramming attack.
The 350 Guard members will remain during Mardi Gras, when residents and visitors come to the Big Easy for costumed festivities and large parades before concluding with Mardi Gras in mid-February.
Louisiana National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Noel Collins said in a written statement that the National Guard will support local, state and federal law enforcement to “enhance capabilities, stabilize the environment, assist in reducing crime and restore public trust.”
In total, more than 800 local, state and federal law enforcement officers will be deployed to block traffic on Bourbon Street, patrol the area, search bags and divert traffic, city officials said at a news conference Monday.
A year ago, the law enforcement presence increased after Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove around a police cordon in the early hours of January 1, careening through Bourbon Street and plowing into people celebrating New Year’s Day.
The attacker was a U.S. citizen army Veterans who have publicly expressed support islamic state Militant group on social media, shot dead by police after crash.
After an extensive search, law enforcement discovered multiple bombs in coolers around the French Quarter. No explosive device detonated.
100 National Guard members were dispatched to the city immediately following the attack.
In September, Gov. Jeff Landry asked Trump to send 1,000 troops to Louisiana cities over concerns about crime. democrats There was pushback, especially from New Orleans leaders, who said the deployment was unwarranted. They argue that the city’s violent crime rate has actually dropped significantly in recent years.