New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said in a brief Thursday press conference that she was unaware New Orleans had “yellow archer” obstacles designed to prevent vehicles from driving on sidewalks.
Kirkpatrick’s remarks come after video was posted to the social media platform X showing the white Ford truck authorities say was used by terrorist Shasmud Din Jabbar to kill 14 people was able to evade a police vehicle and commit the attack after driving on the sidewalk.
The police chief announced the implementation of “yellow archers,” which appear to be Archer Barriers created by the Meridian Rapid Defense Group, as she announced a general “hardening” of the area surrounding the attack ahead of the Sugar Bowl football game between Georgia and Notre Dame, which was delayed one day by the terrorist attack.
“We have brought in heavy trucks, you will see when you go down Bourbon, you will see yellow, what we call archers, there along the sidewalk, and that would be to be preventive, if someone had, or if this particular terrorist, went around up on the sidewalk, that’s what that would do,” Kirkpatrick told the media. “It would slow that down for anyone who that that they could breach our targets.”
Asked where New Orleans obtained the barriers, she stated, “Actually, we have them. I didn’t know about them, but we have them, and so we have been able now to put them out.”
Moments later, Kirkpatrick was asked whether she was “upset” over not knowing New Orleans already owned such barriers prior to the attack.
Despite announcing she is “confident” of the “hardening” of potential targets in New Orleans, Kirkpatrick said the “yellow archers” would not have prevented Jabbar’s attack.
“This is not a matter of pointing blame anywhere,” said Kirkpatrick. “A terrorist is hellbent on destruction. This man was going to do his best, and if it hadn’t been on Bourbon, he was going to go somewhere else. So we have this, we’re going to implement it, and end of story.”
These obstacles appear to be separate from the retractable bollards installed on Bourbon Street by as part of a 2017 public safety initiative. Those bollards similarly were not in place during the attack due to a replacement program announced by the New Orleans Department of Public Works in November.
In addition to her duties as police chief, Kirkpatrick is a National Instructor for the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Association’s Leadership Training Program, where she instructs top members of law enforcement on “Bias and Diversity, Emotional Intelligence, and Leading Generations.”
Watch Kirkpatrick’s full comments:
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick” by City of New Orleans.
DEI kills people
Steve Allen said it. She along with the FBI woman who did not have a clue on the morning of the attack. At least the FBI sent in a rep who had the ability to handle the follow up.
Seems to me that she should have known about the bollards. Perahaps it’s time to retire…
Typical DEI hire. I’m sorry, but she exemplifies the apex of liberalism. She checks all the right DEI boxes except for the one that matters the most….experience.