During critical NOPD manpower shortage, officers across Louisiana save Mardi Gras
Like many cities, New Orleans is facing a critical police officer shortage and there was concern Mardi Gras was going to be effected, but law enforcement from across the state stepped in to help.
NEW ORLEANS – It's Fat Tuesday in New Orleans, the final day of Mardi Gras celebrations. It's the first year since the pandemic that celebrations are back in full force.
In 2021, COVID-19 canceled the parades, and last year, a police officer shortage cut the routes nearly in half. But this year, the good times are rolling just as they used to.
While the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) is still facing a critical manpower shortage, law enforcement from across the state are stepping in.
"The economic impact to businesses along the neighborhoods that were cut last year was extremely negative," said James Reiss, co-chair of the Mayor's Mardi Gras Advisory Council and former King of Carnival. "We wanted to find a way to work together to get the parades back to those businesses and do the full route."
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Orleans Parish Assistant Sheriff Kristen Morales says between four and six hundred officers are needed every day of Mardi Gras.
Mardi Gras revelers cheer for beads along the parade route. (Fox News)
"You need that many because of the amount of people that are coming to a centralized location," Morales said. "It's equivalent to a mini Times Square on New Year's Eve."
In the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras, Morales and a team of others at the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office were calling sheriffs and other law enforcement agencies across Louisiana asking for help with parade patrols.
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"About 20 agencies are here," Morales said. "We are proud to say we have, in some respects, saved Mardi Gras."
Sgt. Ariel Mercadel with the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office keeps a watchful eye over the parade crowds. (Fox News)
From the bayou to north Louisiana, officers, deputies, marshals, and troopers came from all over to help keep the celebrations safe.
"I'm from a very rural area," said Deputy Stephen Easley with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office. "This is very different from what I'm normally used to, but I'm excited."
Along the parade route, officers handle crowd control and watch for suspicious activity. The city says law enforcement has confiscated over 100 guns from near or around the parades in the last week.
The extra officers were crucial Sunday night after a suspect opened fire into a crowd of parade watchers. A teenager was killed and three others, including a 4-year-old girl were injured.
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In a statement, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell says, "Unfortunately, individuals utilize opportunities like these to deter us from our main goal of keeping our residents and visitors safe. [Sunday] night's incidents do not and will not reflect the successful Carnival season we have experienced thus far."
"New Orleans, like any large city has issues with crime, and we have for a long time," Reiss said. "We're not proud of those stats, but I think celebrations like Mardi Gras show the other side of that, which is we're a diverse population of fun-loving people who like to celebrate life."
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