Sophie Kasakove
The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
BATON ROUGE — City and state officials said Monday that security plans are in place to keep residents and visitors safe during New Year’s Eve festivities and the Sugar Bowl, as New Orleans marks one year since the deadly terrorist attack on Bourbon Street.
Close to 800 local, state and federal law enforcement officials will be deployed downtown during the events, public safety officials said during a news conference to discuss the security measures.
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Members of the Louisiana National Guard will work with state and local law enforcement to close off Bourbon Street in an enhanced security zone” that will include redirecting traffic and conducting bag searches. Poydras Street will also be closed to vehicles from Claiborne Avenue to Tchoupitoulas Street following the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, and officials are prepared to shut down portions of Canal Street as well, depending on traffic levels.
“We’re leveraging all of our law enforcement resources and public safety partners... absolutely taking in what we experienced almost one year ago,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “I believe that we’ve proven, again, since that time how we have gone the extra mile to ensure the safety again of our residents as well as our visitors.”
The security zone around Bourbon Street has become the new standard for securing sections of downtown during major events since the January 2025 attack exposed vulnerabilities in the city’s event plans.
While the French Quarter has long had a heightened police presence for New Year’s Eve, Carnival and other large gatherings, the measures that the city has put in place for events this year have included additional closures and, notably, the activation of Louisiana guardsmen.
Officials also announced that Crescent Park, a popular spot to watch fireworks over the Mississippi River, will be closed at its normal time of 6:30 pm rather than remaining open until 1 a.m., as is typical on New Year’s Eve.
“We’re not going to take any chances opening up an entire other venue,” said Collin Arnold, the city’s homeland security chief.
Marking the tragedy
The news conference to discuss security plans comes as New Orleans readies for a moment of reflection and mourning over the attack last year that killed 14 people and injured many others.
Visitors to Bourbon Street in recent weeks have taken in the famous party strip from under a canopy of hand-crafted flags known as the “Second Line in the Sky.” The privately funded memorial is set to remain in place until Jan. 18 .
Cantrell administration spokesperson Terry Davis said that the city is not holding any type of official memorial service on Jan. 1 . But Cantrell and other city officials will be attending a Mass on Sunday hosted by Gov. Jeff Landry at the Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church on Baronne St. Some church groups and others have also announced events to mark day.
“We will never forget,” Landry said in a social media post last week, in an announcement of a designated mourning period across Louisiana in the first four days of 2026.
Safety concerns
The Sugar Bowl is set to draw tens of thousands of fans to the city this week for the College Football Playoff matchup between Ole Miss and Georgia. While the security plans sought to allay any fears that could arise on the attack’s anniversary, French Quarter residents and leaders have continued to express ongoing concerns about safety and the need for a consistent, long-term solution to draw visitors back to New Orleans’ central tourist district.
The city has yet to install new permanent barriers along Bourbon Street, which officials agree are needed. Instead, officials have relied on temporary steel barriers that can withstand only low-speed crashes, and that are at times shoved aside by Bourbon Street visitors.
A request officials made to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for a higher risk rating for the Sugar Bowl and New Year’s Eve events was denied, Arnold said.
The events have been deemed a “SEAR 3" threat level rather than “SEAR 1" as officials requested, which would have expanded the city’s access to federal resources like bomb-sniffing canine teams, drones, air security and tactical support.
Arnold said that despite the rating, “federal partners” are stepping up with more personnel and law enforcement resources.
“Initially we were disappointed, but it is what it is,” said Arnold. “But we have great partnerships with federal authorities here locally ... they’re going to do their part regardless of some ranking on some form.
Some 350 National Guard members will also remain in the city through Mardi Gras as part of an activation by Gov. Jeff Landry, who secured approval from the Trump Administration that will unlock federal funding.
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