Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves announced today that the city is conducting a comprehensive review of its security protocols for public events in response to the recent attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day.
- “We live in a new world today versus where we were last week,” Reeves said during a press conference, emphasizing that public safety remains the city’s top priority. The mayor likened the potential changes to how security measures evolved after the Columbine shooting in 1999 and the September 11 attacks in 2001.
While asserting confidence in Pensacola’s “amazing public safety team,” including police, fire, public works, and parks and recreation departments, Reeves stressed the need to reassess existing security measures. He noted that although the city has maintained a “stellar track record” with public safety at events like festivals and parades, the recent events demand a fresh examination of security protocols.
The city has already begun implementing some immediate changes. Following initial discussions, officials coordinated with state partners to deploy additional barricades and implemented public road closures for the Mardi Gras event last Saturday. Reeves indicated that more security improvements will be rolled out in the coming weeks and months, with some changes being visible to the public while others will remain confidential for security reasons.
The mayor acknowledged that these enhanced security measures might impact convenience for residents, particularly regarding access to popular event spaces like Seville Square and parade routes. He called for patience and understanding from citizens as these changes are implemented, emphasizing that security must take precedence over convenience.
Despite the heightened security measures, Reeves stressed that the city won’t “run in fear,” recognizing that public gatherings are fundamental to Pensacola’s community fabric.
- “These events and these gatherings together, whether it’s just a busy Saturday night on Palafox Street, are part of the fabric of who we are,” he said.
The mayor promised regular updates on the security enhancement process, though he noted that specific details of security plans would not be made public to prevent potential exploitation by bad actors. The new measures will be in place for upcoming events, including the MLK parade and the Mardi Gras season, with a focus on long-term security improvements for all public gatherings in the city.
- “My first job is to keep our children safe,” Reeves concluded, reaffirming his commitment to moving forward “aggressively and intentionally” with the security improvements while maintaining Pensacola’s vibrant community life.
During the Q&A part of the presser, the mayor said he will be submitting new ordinances to the Pensacola City Council to improve safety, such as a law giving the police more authority to remove vehicles left overnight along a parade route. He admitted the fees for public events will increase to cover the additional security costs, adding that parades cost the city $50,000, but the permit fee is around $1,000.
“We understand that there’s going to be some costs,” said the mayor. “But I think it is going to cause a bigger conversation between the county, between our tourism partners and us to say, ‘Hey, if these are things that bring in tax dollars because it takes place geographically in the city limits, doesn’t mean that the obligation should end in the city limits.'”