As Mardi Gras festivities kickstart in Lafayette, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Police Department (ULPD) and Lafayette Police Department (Lafayette PD) begin to roll out security measures as safety precautions for students and parade attendees.
In preparation for the first parade, “Krewe of Rio,” that took place on Saturday, Feb. 22, the Lafayette Consolidated Government Public Works Department began placing barricades along parade routes on Feb. 20-21.
The roadways that were barricaded include the intersection at Jefferson St. and Simcoe St. to the intersection at Johnston St. and Vermilion St, continuing down to the intersection at Johnston St. and North College Rd. and along the parade route to Cajun Field Gate 1 at Reinhardt Dr., heading toward Congress St. Students, faculty and staff are advised to take alternate routes to campus and be aware of traffic.
Lieutenant Michael Louviere, public information officer with ULPD, spoke on the safety precautions that ULPD is taking to ensure the safety of students when attending parades near campus or in the city.
Commenting on the barricades, Louviere said, “We want to make sure that the people that are attending the parades or trying to enjoy the festivities, is that they mind the barricades, not try to defeat the barricades.”
Louviere advised parade attendees to be mindful of the barricades at all times and to not attempt to pass through them once the parade has begun. Attendees should also never attempt to get in front of or behind parade floats.
He added, “That’s the purpose of the barricades, to try to get that extra level of safety for the attendees.”
According to Louviere, the Lafayette PD and ULPD are also concerned with any vehicle type incidents or assaults, be it incidental or intentional, especially at major intersections.
Louviere shared, “We’re utilizing large vehicles to be able to further protect the attendees at these parades, on these parade routes, whether that be fire trucks, buses, dump trucks. Whatever it takes to be able to put a barrier between a possible vehicle entering large gatherings of people.”
ULPD is also implementing a similar measure at Cajun Field, which they have always been doing for football games as well. Sergeant Lance Frederick, also a public information officer with ULPD, shared that there are always vehicles parked where spectators go to walk into Cajun Field, which prevents other vehicles from passing through. He said, “It’s purposeful to be able to allow people to walk through but not enough a vehicle to pass.”
Under the jurisdiction of the ULPD, the festival at Cajun Field, “Le Festival de Mardi Gras à Lafayette,” will see heightened security measures as well. Louviere shared, “First off, we have a large number of law enforcement officers that work to not only give that visual representation of safety and security.”
According to Louviere, ULPD has also reached out to other agencies involved in the area to request for more manpower. Louviere said, “We’ve actually reached out to two sheriff ‘s offices, one being Lafayette Parish Sheriff ‘s office and St. Martin Parish Sheriff ‘s office to be able to help us in manning the amount of positions we need to cover.”
Besides the heavy presence of law enforcement officers, ULPD will also put fencing up around the festival grounds. Louviere said, “What that does is that helps protect from just anybody walking into the festival grounds. And we’re able to put key entry and exit points where officers man that position and also help prevent any weapons from entering.”
There will also be heavy staffing so that any problematic situations can be resolved quickly and that any potential risks will be mitigated efficiently. Other technologies that will be used include metal detectors, surveillance cameras and a surveillance trailer with a microphone that allows for announcements to be made in the case of an emergency evacuation.
With regards to risk management, Louviere said, “We do threat assessments and risk mitigation, and we use risk mitigation strategies to be able to determine what is needed and what potential risks there are involved, and we try to limit the amount of risk.”
Besides the security measures that are implemented by ULPD and the Lafayette PD, ULPD also advised students and parade goers to be responsible for their own safety and to stay aware of how to maintain caution and vigilance at all times. Louviere commented, “No matter how hard we try to be able to make the most safe environment, there are still ways that things can happen. So while we want them, everyone that is attending this event to have a great time, we want to ensure that they have the best time by giving these safety tips.”
Students should travel in groups to and from parking spots and to be aware of their surroundings. In the case where the group is separated, plans should be made to meet up. Belongings should be kept in the trunk of vehicles, or anywhere that is not in plain sight. Valuables, including identification cards, keys and cash, should be kept in front pockets and any bulky purses or expensive jewelry should be refrained.
Students are also advised to have a ride sharing application downloaded beforehand with all information entered in the event that they need a ride back. Students should also always keep someone informed of their whereabouts. The legal drinking age being 21 should always be kept in mind, and students are advised to drink responsibly and safely.
With unpredictable weather lately, students should also check the weather forecast frequently and dress accordingly. Attempt to stay in well-lit areas and avoid dark and quiet streets and alleys, and to find the nearest law enforcement officer if separated from friends.
Lastly, ULPD highly encourages students to download the UL Shield application to report any emergencies and to receive emergency notifications. The benefit of the app is that it works anywhere, so students are able to receive real-time notifications in the situation where there is a dangerous area to be avoided.