NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office has released the results of its safety operations for the 2024 Mardi Gras season, and according to the OPSO, it was a “remarkable success.”
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson credited the success of the operations to the local and state law enforcement presence along the parade route.
During the season, deputies worked on operations including securing the parade routes, operating a mobile booking station, offering services to victims of crime and running the “Operation Lost Kids” area.
The OPSO reported that 145 deputies worked with 280 deputies from 18 partnering organizations to secure the parade route. In all, 2,529 deputy employments were made from Feb. 2 to Feb. 13 to cover 34 parades.
According to the OPSO, deputies made “nine arrests along the parade route resulting in zero shootings on the route.”
The OPSO reported 122 people were booked at its mobile booking station in the French Quarter, noting that the number is higher than 86 bookings reported for 2023.
At the mobile booking unit, OPSO officials said deputies made 96 illegal carrying of weapons bookings, 10 drug bookings, seven battery bookings, two theft bookings, one aggravated assault booking, one criminal trespassing booking and one reckless operation booking.
The OPSO also reported the results of its “Operation Mardi Gras HUB” in which victim service providers and local agencies offered resources to victims or survivors of violent crime in New Orleans during the Mardi Gras season.
According to the OPSO, 86 people were assisted during the operation, including people who encountered domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, simple battery, homicides, trafficking, carjacking, aggravated shooting, armed robbery, simple robbery and purse snatching.
The OPSO noted that its “Operation Lost Kids” area helped reunite a mother and son who were separated on the parade route.
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