“It does not hinder policing, but the admin part is clogging up the works.”53 The most
frequently noted hindrance, particularly by law enforcement respondents, is the
amount of paperwork created for sergeants by the consent decree, which has a direct
result of keeping them off the streets.
“We are seeing blatant discretionary policing, where a cop can just walk by a
violator because they don’t feel like filling out the paperwork, so the violator feels
above the law, compounding propensity to commit crimes.”54
Surprisingly, it was NOPD respondents who said that the consent decree is not the
burdensome yoke others perceive it to be. While it may have been a difficult
adjustment for veteran NOPD officers, they said, new officers who have only known
policing under the consent decree do not feel tethered by it, as they have no other
comparison.
F.
Risk of Terrorism & Critical Security Incidents
The risk of terrorism – specifically mass shootings and vehicular attacks – remains highly
possible while moderately probable.
The two modes of terror attack most likely to be used are vehicular ramming and active
shooting. Both international and domestic terrorists have turned to these methods as a
cheap low-tech alternative to complex bomb plots, particularly in the case of lone wolf
attacks. Considering that the most high-profile target in New Orleans – Bourbon Street
– is an open air thoroughfare with little to no access control reinforces the rationale for
these two methods.
Aside from serving as a general deterrent, the larger police presence that Interfor and
nearly all stakeholders are advocating would ensure a quicker armed response to an
active shooter. To illustrate the fact, one need look no further than the August 4, 2019
active shooter attack in Dayton, Ohio. In this tragic act of terror, nine people were killed
and an additional seventeen were shot within thirty-two seconds of when the gunman
opened fire, at which point he was neutralized by the substantial police force in the
nearby vicinity. Sadly, the carnage would likely be far worse in the area of Bourbon
Street, where no evidence of a substantial quick reaction force ready to face a similar
threat was observed.
Increased visibility and a larger show of force also raise the chances to disrupt potential
terror attacks during the planning phase. Historically, the majority of intended attacks
which have been thwarted were detected during the planning phase, when would-be
53 NOPD Officer
54
A restauranteur
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INTERFOR INTERNATIONAL