Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
Enhanced safety measures to be considered in Boston, Salem following New Orleans attack
“It would be short-sighted not to consider Salem a potential target for those who might seek to make a political statement through violence,” city leaders said.
Days after a man in a pickup truck plowed into a New Orleans crowd on New Year’s Day, officials in Boston and Salem say they’re eyeing public safety enhancements for large events.
“With our city hosting parades, festivals, and open street activities that draw huge crowds, ensuring the safety of residents and visitors is critical,” Boston City Councilor Erin Murphy said in a statement Thursday.
To that end, Murphy said she’s filed an order for a hearing to explore enhanced public safety measures and to “highlight the vital role” of the Boston Regional Intelligence Center, a police data hub aimed at reducing crime and preventing terrorism.
Advertisement:
“We’ll hear from public safety officials, transportation experts, event organizers, and community members to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive approach,” Murphy said.
New Orleans Attack:
The New Orleans attack killed 14 and injured dozens, and the driver — who was purportedly inspired by the Islamic State terrorist group — swerved around a police blockade to ram into the crowd, according to the Associated Press.
In her order, Murphy asserted that incidents like the New Orleans attack “underscore the critical need to explore additional measures to protect large gatherings from potential threats” and also emphasized the use of physical barriers to deter and prevent vehicular threats.
Advertisement:
City Councilor Ed Flynn likewise called for vigilance and enhancements to Boston’s law enforcement and intelligence gathering capabilities.
“The City of Boston must also remain prepared for large public gatherings and provide the appropriate security and safety measures,” Flynn said in a statement Thursday. “We must continue working closely with our city, state, and federal law enforcement partners to support them with the necessary resources to ensure safe communities.”
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Mayor Michelle Wu expressed confidence in the city’s public safety planning for large events, the Boston Herald reported.
“The unexpected can always happen, but we do our very best with the technology, the preparation, the coordination to make sure that all of those situations are accounted for,” Wu said, according to the Herald.
In Salem, another major tourist destination, officials met this week to discuss steps to make public events safer, Mayor Dominick Pangallo and Chief of Police Lucas J. Miller said in a joint letter Thursday. Salem has topped one million visitors throughout the Halloween season, with 87,351 people visiting on Oct. 31 alone last year.
Given those crowds and the city’s significance in American history and literature, “it would be short-sighted not to consider Salem a potential target for those who might seek to make a political statement through violence — for terrorism,” Pangallo and Miller said.
Advertisement:
After reflecting on Wednesday’s attack, “The starkest lesson seems to be that while New Orleans enacted very similar measures to Salem to keep people on the street safe, the assailant was able to simply drive around barriers, either because mechanical bollards were out of service or because he drove on the sidewalk,” they added.
According to Pangallo and Miller, Salem officials discussed the installation of additional bollards — both mechanical and fixed — to better secure pedestrian areas.
“A plan for these installations had already been in development before the attack in New Orleans, but the terrorist attack on New Year’s means we will accelerate that project,” they added. Salem will also look to acquire additional mobile vehicle barriers and concrete Jersey barriers, Pangallo and Miller said.
Looking ahead to October, they said planning for pedestrian-only areas will need to be “more rigid and enforced more completely,” and Salem also plans to revisit police staffing levels and seek an outside specialist to review its Haunted Happenings public safety plans.
“This conversation is not over, and we will continue to evaluate information from New Orleans to better learn from that terrible attack and improve on our own safety operations here in Salem,” Pangallo and Miller said.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com