NOPD Incident Plan Revealed After Bourbon Street Attack

NEW ORLEANS — WDSU Investigates has obtained the New Orleans Police Department’s (NOPD) 30-page incident plan for the Sugar Bowl and New Year’s Eve, following a deadly terror attack on Bourbon Street that left 14 dead and dozens injured on January 1, 2025. The document outlines security measures, including the deployment of hundreds of barricades and the requirement for commanders to submit after-action memos critiquing the event’s security response.

The incident plan, which was not disclosed in full to protect ongoing security protocols, reveals that NOPD supervisors were required to attend a Zoom meeting on December 27, 2024, to review procedures. The plan also details the placement of wedge barricades at eight locations in the French Quarter, though it remains unclear how many were operational during the attack. “The wedge ones are the large white ones that cover the entire street from end to end. Those are the ones that are battery-powered as well,” said Mike Cahn, a security expert with decades of experience in New Orleans. “My understanding is some of those were not operational and were down at the time.”

The attack, carried out by a truck plowing through a blocked-off section of Bourbon Street, has raised questions about the effectiveness of the city’s security measures. The NOPD has declined to comment on the incident plan, citing ongoing investigations by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, the New Orleans City Council, and multiple law firms. “As the Superintendent stated in council chambers today, there is an ongoing Attorney General investigation as well as other investigations and therefore the NOPD will not be discussing any of the incident plans (past, present or future) at this time,” the department said in a statement.

Security experts have emphasized the need for a broader focus on counterterrorism measures. “The public is very steadfast on just the barricades,” Cahn said. “We should be looking more at the terrorism aspect. What else can we do to make this a hardened target and safer for people in the future?”

The incident plan also highlights the use of electric barricades, which were intended to prevent vehicle access to crowded areas. However, reports suggest that some of these barriers were not functioning at the time of the attack. Meridian Rapid Defense, the company that sold the city 48 barricades in 2017 for $350,000, stated that the barriers alone may not have prevented the attack. “If someone is destined to make this happen, regardless, the barricades wouldn’t have made a difference,” a company representative said.

As investigations continue, the NOPD and city officials face mounting pressure to address security gaps and prevent future tragedies. The incident plan’s revelations underscore the challenges of protecting high-profile events in an era of evolving threats.