The New Orleans Police Department, in close coordination with our public safety partners, successfully secured the NBA YoungBoy concerts over two consecutive nights at the Smoothie King Center. No major incidents were reported.

“Preparation and professionalism are our standard,” NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said. “From advance planning to the final exit, our officers and partners delivered a disciplined, visible, and respectful operation that kept fans, staff, and the artist moving safely.”

The NOPD had a planned, full event deployment – 100-percent staffing to detail cover interior posts, exterior perimeters and transit corridors. Marked units, bike/foot teams and blue-light visibility deterred issues and guided pedestrian flow. Pre-staged traffic patterns and crowd lanes reduced bottlenecks and supported rapid departures. Additionally, drones provided real-time views over exterior approaches and exit routes.

The NOPD worked alongside multiple local, state and federal law-enforcement partners, New Orleans EMS, and the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD), with continuous liaison to venue management and private security.

The operation utilized lessons from other major events hosted in New Orleans, including recent large-scale concerts, to align resources and roles.

Additionally, Birmingham (Ala.) Chief of Police Michael Pickett traveled to New Orleans and attended the event to gain insight as his department prepares for NBA YoungBoy’s upcoming concert there on Wednesday.

“I was extremely impressed with New Orleans’ operational plan, intelligence planning and information sharing,” Pickett said. “They had a very robust plan. I have some experience with large-scale special events, but I can say that New Orleans had a very solid plan that took time and went over every detail. They had a strong presence at and around the Smoothie King Center which set the tone, and their partnerships with state, local and federal partners were impressive to see. We wanted to learn from these successes and bring that info back with us to Birmingham to ensure our best shot at a safe show as well.”

The NOPD thanks our multi-agency partners, EMS, NOFD, venue staff, and private security for their teamwork and professionalism in this operation. Additionally, the NOPD also thanks the Atlanta Police Department for its insight and intelligence assistance in this process.