LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL

Feb 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By JENNIFER PERO

New Orleans knows how to throw a party. With more than 6 million people attending Mardi Gras annually, the event generates more than a billion dollars in revenue for the city. This year, Mardi Gras is unfolding in an environment of heightened security awareness and increased vigilance. When Super Bowl XXXVI meets Mardi Gras 2002 in the same month this February, security will be under tighter scrutiny than ever — even in the Big Easy.

PRESERVING A LEGACY

Mardi Gras — this year on Feb. 12 — is a tradition that has lived on for more than a century. During the 46-day celebration, the city is awash in parades, costume balls, unveiling of kings and queens and private parties. The parades draw enormous crowds, which line the streets awaiting “throws” from theme floats — cups, doubloons, and of course, beads. As determined parade viewers rush the scene for such trinkets, crowd control becomes the primary safety concern. But securing an open space isn't always easy.

Security at Mardi Gras falls within the purview of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD). Police on foot and horseback patrol the streets of parade routes from uptown to downtown, maintaining public control via metal barricades. Oftentimes, there are 1,500 law enforcement officers to every 250,000 civilians.

“Typically, there are about eight to 10 officers and two horse-mounted policemen per block,” says John Evans, who spent 33 years with the NOPD before retiring. When it comes to securing such an enormous event, “common sense is about 90 percent of it,” Evans says. “You can have a good time, but safety has to come first.”

IN THE QUARTER

Never underestimate the power of a megaphone — it's the one thing that seems to work as the NOPD attempts to keep order in a city of saints and sinners. In addition to the parades, Mardi Gras festivities are also being held — and monitored — in the heart of the French Quarter.

The French Quarter makes up approximately 100 square blocks of downtown New Orleans, and it is where most Mardi Gras revelry is often seen in pictures. During the festivities, two-thirds of the French Quarter is closed to vehicular traffic, with no on-street parking allowed; thus, crowds may stand stationary for long periods of time. Trying to clear a space or break up a fight can be difficult.

“It's amazing how simple tactics work so well,” Evans says. “Police will hang over a balcony and yell through a megaphone to break up a fight, and the people on the ground don't know where the voice came from, but when they look up and see who's talking to them, they realize they've already been caught, and that usually just breaks it up.” Should police see a need to intervene, they can communicate through radio to plain-clothes officers in the crowd.

The NOPD is also on hand to assist the businesses and restaurants that line the streets of the French Quarter. Charlie Bateman, vice president of operations for Pat O'Brien's takes comfort in the fact that officers are just a few feet away should a problem arise.

Pat O'Brien's bar — known for its dueling pianos and endless supply of the city's famed hurricane drinks — entertains thousands of patrons nightly. And during Mardi Gras, the crowds have been known to double, even triple.

“Mardi Gras is a very busy time for us,” Bateman says. “There are many things we do to ensure the safety of our customers and employees.”

For instance, no one under 21 is allowed in the bar, and all backpacks and large bags are checked upon entering. Pat O'Brien's also relies on security cameras located throughout the building.

Above all, managers and employees are trained to recognize potential problems before they occur, and employees notify managers if they notice suspicious activity. Bateman adds that these precautions take place throughout the year, and not just during busy seasons.

Says Bateman: “Even though the crowds are three to four times bigger during Mardi Gras, we have very, very few problems.

PROTECTION: PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

Security companies in New Orleans are often hired to secure public and private property during the Mardi Gras season. Gil Beaudreaux, New Orleans area manager for Wackenhut Corp., says the guards at his company are hired to promote a presence of control, rather than to physically maintain order. “We're not law enforcement,” he says. “We don't engage parade attendees, we just create a presence to maintain some type of order.”

There are approximately 85 security guards employed at Wackenhut's New Orleans facility, many of whom take on residential security roles during Mardi Gras. “A lot of people will have private parties at their house in the neighborhoods and our guards will patrol that block for four or five houses to keep people from trespassing,” Beaudreaux says.

Wackenhut also secures commercial property. With parade routes lining many commercial and privately-owned businesses, retail facilities attract parade attendees looking for souvenirs and momentos of the Mardi Gras experience. But maintaining security for the approximately 2,000 buildings located in the French Quarter often calls for outsourcing.

To maintain records should a problem arise, the company uses guard tour systems from Miami-based Deggy Corp. “We develop reports for our clients should anything happen like broken glass, or a light out, and we use written reports too, which outlines for clients where their staff needs to follow-up,” he says. In response to recent world events, Wackenhut has added anti-terrorism training to its guard education program.

HAVING A BALL

Perhaps the most exciting part of Mardi Gras is the high-society balls that take place in the city throughout the week. Attendees may purchase tickets for an evening of dining, drinking and dancing and rub elbows with the grand marshals of the parades. Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Hope, John Goodman and Harry Connick Jr. have all been grand marshals.

As floats reach the end of their parade routes, some krewes, such as Bacchus and Orpheus, ride straight through the exhibit halls of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, where the balls are being held. Samuel E. Lamar is the public safety director for the convention center, and deals primarily with its security and safety. Under his supervision, the convention center staffs approximately 30 law enforcement personnel for traffic control and perimeter security, and more than 100 private security guards to maintain safety and access control in and out of the balls.

Lamar says that although CCTV cameras are used throughout the facility, security guards and law enforcement are the main deterrents. “The best security is having people present who can view the crowd as they come in,” Lamar says. “Cameras, though highly effective in the right environment, don't serve the best purpose here because so many people are dressed in costumes and use masks and make-up to celebrate in the festivities.”

Inside and out, metal barricades are also used to control crowds, and mandate no-parking zones.

This year, in light of possible terrorist threats, Lamar has updated fire and evacuation routes for the convention center. His staff undergoes periodic re-certification of guard and security training on a regular basis. “We couldn't give them any more training. Everything is done every year to make Mardi Gras as safe as possible.”

Understanding the ebb and flow of the crowd, and having people in charge who understand the attitude of the environment are the best approaches to securing an open-space event such as Mardi Gras, Lamar says. “Police here have a sort of balance,” he says, “it's part of the culture, and understanding that and tailoring security with that in mind are the only things you can do.”

In addition to security efforts, this year the city of New Orleans re-assessed emergency plans for not only large events, but overall. With the Super Bowl (Feb. 3) and Mardi Gras happening almost the same week, the city has invited the National Guard and Secret Service to keep an eye on potential threats. The Louisiana Superdome will increase stadium security dynamically, including restricted air space above the city's landmark. Officials say Mardi Gras will also benefit from such heightened awareness.

In the end, Evans, who spent 25 years covering Mardi Gras in the French Quarter before retiring from the NOPD, says the city is prepared: “With the amount of time and energy spent [this year], things will be handled at a different level. State, federal or local — they're not going to leave a stone unturned.”

FOR THE RECORD

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Pero is the assistant editor of Access Control & Security Systems.

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© 2008 Penton Media Inc.

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