NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Safety for Swifties will be the priority for New Orleans Police and their partners when Taylor Swift’s Eras tour takes over the city and the Caesars Superdome this weekend.
With an expected 150,000 fans descending on the city for three sold-out shows at the Caesars Superdome, authorities are ready to ensure that Swifties can enjoy their best day without worrying about safety.
The first performance is set for Friday (Oct. 25), and city officials have been working to prepare.
“Governmental stakeholders and all the folks responsible for safeguarding these events are having conversations right now to provide a safe and secure event for Taylor Swift when she comes to town,” said James DeMeo, a security consultant and adjunct professor at Tulane University.
DeMeo, who specializes in crowd safety and event security, says planning for an event of this magnitude involves securing both the Superdome and potential soft targets around it.
“They’ll be utilizing technologies to monitor the ebb and flow of the crowds as they ingress and as they’re going through the screening, as well as when they’re exiting, taking Lyfts and Ubers and other modes of transportation post-concert,” said DeMeo.
The Eras Tour in New Orleans
To meet the challenge, the NOPD will be working daylight or midnight shifts—just like during Mardi Gras—focusing their efforts on the French Quarter, downtown, and the Superdome.
While the department has been dealing with a Delicate manpower shortage, they’ll be backed up by Louisiana State Police.
Troop NOLA will assist with technology, including AI-assisted crime cameras, to help keep eyes open across the city.
“By doing that and having that omnipresence of utilizing the camera systems, it allows us to be able to be present throughout the entire city,” said LSP Capt. Rodney Hyatt.
Still, technology alone isn’t enough. DeMeo points out that the human element can be critical to safety. He referenced the thwarted terrorist plot against a Taylor Swift concert in Austria this summer, where U.S. intelligence officials played a crucial role.
New Orleans has plenty of experience handling big events, from Mardi Gras to Super Bowls, but NOPD Deputy Supt. Hans Ganthier is urging fans to be proactive and take part in their own safety plan.
“Try to stay in groups and stay together whenever possible. Plan on a known meeting place in case you get lost or separated. We ask you to stay vigilant in your surroundings. We also ask visitors not to do anything that you wouldn’t do in your own town. Just because you’re in New Orleans doesn’t mean you can stray from that thought,” Ganthier said.
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