Security tightens for final weeks of Mardi Gras
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Officers patrol during the Endymion parade. Photo: Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images
Expect to see more uniforms — including National Guard troops — as New Orleans ramps up security for the final stretch of Mardi Gras.
Why it matters: The changes affect how residents and visitors move around during the city's two biggest parade weekends.
The big picture: National Guard, NOPD and more than 20 partner agencies will patrol the streets over the next two weeks as the city goes into full Mardi Gras mode.
- The federal government approved its highest threat designation for Mardi Gras weekend — similar to that of the Super Bowl — and the second highest (SEER 2) for this weekend.
- The feds are providing bomb-sniffing dogs and personnel who can advise the city's officials about strategy, says Michael Harrison, the new deputy mayor of public safety.
Zoom in: National Guard soldiers will patrol downtown and along parade routes in other parts of the city, Harrison said.
- "They're already expanding their patrols beyond downtown," he said.
- They arrived in November at the state's request for the Bayou Classic. In December, President Trump authorized federal deployment to assist with law enforcement.
Between the lines: The feds — not the state — pay for the troops if it is a federal deployment.
What to expect: Mario Kart, aka the serpentine road-block course, is back on St. Charles Avenue as drivers head Uptown.
- Parts of the French Quarter will have vehicle restrictions, with Bourbon Street having a hard closure Feb. 13 until Ash Wednesday.
- Streetcar service will be partially replaced with bus service on parade days, and the ferries will run more frequently. See the schedule.
Don't be a Chad: DIY toilets, tents and upholstered furniture are not allowed on the parade routes.
- Neither are grills. Hot coals are one of the most dangerous items sanitation workers have to deal with after a parade, sanitation director Matt Torri says.
- Dogs aren't allowed either, unless they are service animals.
- And please, please, please don't shoot confetti cannons or walk between tandem floats. Or pee in public.
Go deeper: This weekend's parade schedule