The inventor of steel barriers believes the New Orleans attack could have been avoided if the city had deployed them effectively
New Orleans: The tragic New Year’s Day truck attack could have turned out very differently if the city had used the steel barriers they already had. Peter Whitford, the inventor of these barriers, told the Guardian that they have a solid track record of stopping vehicle rammings.
He pointed out that the city had bought these 700-pound barriers years ago but didn’t have the right equipment to set them up quickly. It’s a real shame because they had worked well in a similar attack in California just a year before.
Instead of using the barriers, New Orleans officials decided they were too cumbersome. So, they stored them away, and when the attack happened, they were nowhere to be found. This was especially concerning since the barriers were designed to protect crowds, and they were missing when an attacker struck Bourbon Street, killing 14 people and injuring many more.
After the attack, Whitford and his team decided to visit New Orleans to help the city improve its public safety measures. They met with local police to discuss how to better deploy the barriers and provide training on their use. It turns out the barriers that were finally put out the day after the attack were rusty and not well-maintained, unlike those in other cities.
Whitford expressed disappointment that the city didn’t take better care of the equipment they had purchased. He emphasized that they were there to help New Orleans get its safety standards up to par.
In light of the attack, New Orleans has hired former police chief William Bratton to review its security plans, especially with big events like the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras coming up. The city has faced criticism for not having the barriers in place when they were needed most.
Officials have tried to explain why the barriers were missing, citing various issues with each type. Some were being replaced, while others were left down due to concerns about malfunctioning. Meanwhile, victims of the attack are suing the city, claiming it failed to protect them.
Interestingly, the city’s director of homeland security acknowledged that the Archer barriers were a great product but mentioned that moving them requires significant effort. However, videos show that one person can easily deploy them in under ten minutes with the right equipment.
After the attack, police in California demonstrated how easy it was to set up the same barriers that New Orleans had. It was a stark contrast to how New Orleans had been deploying them, which involved multiple officers and cumbersome methods.
Whitford noted that New Orleans had some of the necessary equipment but not the latest versions. He believes that if the barriers had been in place, the outcome of the attack would have been very different.
He shared that the barriers have been tested and proven effective in stopping vehicles at high speeds. He’s confident that they would have prevented the tragedy on Bourbon Street.
Whitford also mentioned that the barriers were quickly deployed at the Rose Parade just hours after the New Orleans attack, showing their effectiveness in real-world situations.
As he walked through New Orleans after the attack, he saw memorials for the victims and the barriers that had finally been deployed, now covered in messages from the community asking for better safety measures.
It’s a tough situation, and Whitford feels the weight of the tragedy. He’s committed to helping New Orleans improve its safety and ensure that such an incident doesn’t happen again.
