NOPD hires former New York police commissioner as a terrorism expert
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Former NYPD police commissioner Bill Bratton speaks during public safety-related announcement in Manhattan in 2023. Photo: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The New Orleans Police Department has hired former New York City police commissioner Bill Bratton to review terrorism prevention plans as the city prepares to host Super Bowl LIX in a month, NOPD chief Anne Kirkpatrick said Wednesday.
Why it matters: Officials are requesting more resources for the game and Mardi Gras season after an accused terrorist drove a truck through the crowds on Bourbon Street, killing 14 and injuring 35 more.
The big picture: Bratton was Kirkpatrick's choice, she said. The New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation will pay his fees, which were not disclosed.
- She said she will detail more about his role at a press conference Thursday afternoon.
- The news came during a City Council committee meeting that quickly got testy with Kirkpatrick saying she won't resign, Council member Oliver Thomas seemingly calling her racist and residents questioning Homeland Security director Collin Arnold's absence.
Zoom in: Kirkpatrick and Rick Hathaway, the director of the city's Public Works Department, were in the hot seat Wednesday for what Thomas called a "dialogue" and not an investigation.
- He said he also invited Arnold and Gilbert Montaño, the city's chief administrative officer, who both declined. Arnold and Montaño tell Axios they didn't get an invite.
Friction point: Kirkpatrick said she was focused on victims and her answers to the council would be limited at this point. Thomas, the committee chair, called her defensive.
- He said a few more zingers when Council president Helena Moreno, who is running for mayor, said Kirkpatrick shared information with her before the meeting.
- Thomas, who is considering a mayoral run, accused Kirkpatrick of playing favorites and said he felt disrespected. "I may not be your favorite son, but I'm a native son."
- "My complexion may be different but I matter," he told Kirkpatrick. Thomas, who is Black, later told Axios he meant the "complexion of the argument."
Zoom out: The undertone of many of the questions was culpability — who is to blame? There are at least three investigations in the works looking at various aspects of what happened.
- The FBI is leading the criminal investigation into the attack.
- Attorney General Liz Murrill is doing a full review of security plans. She wants to have a preliminary report to lawmakers before the session starts in April, she told reporters Tuesday.
- And the council is expected to begin its formal investigation Thursday with a focus on the infrastructure decisions that allowed the attack on the city's most famous street when millions have been spent to keep it safe. Council Vice President JP Morrell is leading it.
In the room: The meeting also served as a public forum for residents to express their frustration, fear, support and suggestions as the city moves forward.
- The sister of LaTasha Polk, who was killed in the attack, asked for help and advice from the council as she and her family raise Polk's 14-year-old.
- French Quarter residents and bicycle advocates asked for more holistic solutions that would reduce the number of vehicles in the city's oldest neighborhood.
- Others noted the many challenges the Quarter faces, from building collapses to fires to medical emergencies.
What's next: The mayor is expected to give the next big update Friday afternoon where a press release says she and others will discuss the city's "ongoing readiness for Super Bowl LIX."
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Gilbert Montaño (like Collin Arnold) says he did not get an invitation from Thomas.