Safety experts detail ways to protect SF's 'entertainment zones' in wake of New Orleans attack
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Bay Area officials are on heightened alert after a suspect drove a pickup truck around barricades and plowed his vehicle through a crowd of New Year's revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early Wednesday, killing at least 15 dead and injuring dozens more.
The San Jose Police Department said it is planning to add more police resources into crowded areas like downtown but does not have any credible threats to the area right now.
Late Wednesday afternoon, the San Francisco Police Department issued a statement saying it is "not aware of any credible threats to San Francisco" and asked the public to alert SFPD if it sees any potential threats or suspicious activity.
NEW ORLEANS ATTACK: 14 killed plus suspect in New Years Eve truck attack
The FBI is investigating the New Orleans incident as a terrorist attack.
"Our thoughts are with the New Orleans Police Department and the victims of last night's horrific incident on Bourbon Street," SFPD said. "This incident was a heartbreaking tragedy."
Now, public safety leaders nationwide are asking how tragedies like this attack on the famed Bourbon Street can be thwarted.
Dr. Roy Taylor - a law enforcement and security consultant with over 40 years of experience - said the importance of pre-planning and interagency coordination cannot be understated, but noted there are limitations.
"Any time a human who is willing to give up their life for their cause is interested in committing some type of crime like this, it's very difficult to limit every possible, conceivable access," he said. "So I don't think there's ever a perfect plan."
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It comes as San Francisco is moving forward with plans to introduce more entertainment zones, now legal afterSenate Bill 969 - authored by San Francisco state Sen. Scott Wiener - went into effect. It allows local municipalities and counties to designate "entertainment zones" where bars and restaurants can sell alcoholic beverages for people to drink "on public streets, sidewalks, or public rights of way."
So far, San Francisco has created two entertainment zones: one at the Chase Center and another on Front Street in the financial district. The initiative comes as part of an effort to rejuvenate the city's downtown.
Safety experts like Taylor urge cities to plan for so-called "soft threats" - dangers that may not be immediately visible but pose significant risks to large crowds.
"Vehicles are easily acquired and can be used as a weapon of mass destruction," Taylor explains. "In planning, we must ensure enough barriers to prevent vehicles from circumventing them."
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The Chase Center entertainment zone already incorporates physical barriers to enhance security. However, the Front Street area has yet to include similar protective measures.
Wiener said he trusts that SFPD is equipped to prepare for these types of events, telling ABC7 News he does not see permanent barriers in some of these zones as necessary, unless those zones are permanently closed to traffic.
As the city continues to work on its plans, Taylor says that a careful balance of access, security, and enjoyment to the public will be essential for success.
"All we can do is make the best effort, have good security planning, collaborate with other agencies, look at lessons learned from incidents like this so we can improve on our plan and hopefully limit this going forward," he said.
