Council holds wide-ranging security discussion after New Year’s Day attack; chief announces outside expert and investigators probe response

City Council members, the police chief and department heads held an extended discussion on security measures following the January 1 terrorist attack in the French Quarter, reviewing immediate response, potential hardening measures and next steps for investigation and victim assistance.

New Orleans Police Department Chief Kirkpatrick told the council the department will cooperate with investigations and announced an outside expert will be brought in. “I will always put the victims first,” Chief Kirkpatrick said, adding that she had invited former New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton to assist as an expert on terrorism and hard-targeting; she said Bratton agreed to participate and that his engagement will be a citywide effort, paid for by a partner organization.

Rick Hathaway, director of the Department of Public Works, said DPW’s role is to provide infrastructure for security measures in coordination with law enforcement and other agencies. “DPW’s mission is to assist and provide infrastructure, for security…