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City outlines temporary downtown security measures for Mardi Gras; staff detail bollard purchases and borrowed equipment
Summary
Public Safety Director Laskin told the council the city is buying modular vehicle-stopping bollards ahead of Mardi Gras, borrowing six units from Tuscaloosa and pursuing additional equipment; staff said longer-term permanent bollard options have not yet been researched.
The Mobile City Council heard from the public-safety director on Tuesday that the city is purchasing modular vehicle-stopping bollards and borrowing additional units to harden downtown for Mardi Gras.
Public Safety Director Laskin said the city borrowed six single-lane bollard units from Tuscaloosa and intends to purchase 18 additional units with a guarantee of delivery of 12 before Mardi Gras. He described the units during the meeting as roughly 4-by-4 and weighing about 1,000 pounds each, and said they can stop a vehicle traveling at approximately 30 mph; the transcript phrased the device description as "four by four, weigh about a £1,000 a piece, and will can stop a vehicle about a 30:30 miles an hour." City staff said the devices are interconnectable and would be used to harden pedestrian and vehicular areas downtown for the event.
Councilmember Reynolds asked whether the city had considered permanent, retractable bollards (the kind that raise and lower); Laskin said the city has not yet researched permanent hydraulic or electro-mechanical bollard installations and that the purchases are focused on immediate needs for this Mardi Gras season.
Staff also discussed logistics for siting and use and said they are coordinating use of other city vehicles and equipment to support deployment. The clerk’s consent readout later authorized a purchase order to Delta Scientific Corp. for a portable arrest/blockade system (amount read as $167,371.20) and a contract with PODACO Rentals for portable toilets ($74,515) for Mardi Gras operations.
Why it matters: Mardi Gras draws large crowds to downtown Mobile; short-term physical-security purchases and borrowed equipment are intended to reduce the risk of vehicle attacks or accidental intrusions into pedestrian spaces during events.
Ending: Staff said they will continue to finalize placement plans and long-term strategies remain under study; no decision on permanent bollards was made at the meeting.
