The NOPD announced today that a total of 323 arrests were made citywide during the two-week period encompassing Mardi Gras 2019, a 21-percent decrease from the same time last year.

In 2018, the NOPD made a total of 411 arrests during the Mardi Gras season.

Of the 323 total arrests made during Mardi Gras 2019, 81 arrests were made for illegal possession of firearms – 63 arrests made by NOPD officers and 18 made by Louisiana State Police troopers patrolling in the city. A total of 84 guns were seized during these incidents.

The 81 illegal gun arrests is an increase from 2018’s Mardi Gras season, where a total of 54 arrests were made on the same charge. Of those total arrests, 43 were made by NOPD and 10 were made by Louisiana State Police. In these arrests, a total of 53 guns were seized by law enforcement.

“NOPD officers and our law enforcement partners with Louisiana State Police were aggressive in our stance that illegal gun possession would not be tolerated on our streets, especially during the Mardi Gras season,” NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said. “We asked our citizens to say something if they saw something, and they did just that. The community’s partnership with police is vital to keeping everyone safe, and we appreciate their cooperation to that end.

“Our first and foremost priority is to maintain the safety of everyone in the City of New Orleans, whether they are residents or visitors,” Ferguson continued. “These arrests show that those who choose to break the law and endanger the public will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”