SAFETY TIPS FOR VISITORS
- Travel in groups and avoid walking alone on unlit streets at night.
- Pay attention when walking and using your smartphone as these devices have been the target of thieves nationwide.
- Do not leave your purse, backpack, or briefcase unattended, especially not in the back of your chair.
- Be on the lookout for pickpockets. Consolidate your wallet. Don't bring every credit card and move it to your front pocket or/and wear a cross-body bag rather than a shoulder strap to keep your purse in front of you. Do not display large amounts of cash in public places.
- Consider removing your convention badge when leaving your hotel or meeting venue.
- When hailing a ride via a mobile app, confirm the identity of your driver before getting into the car.
- If you are intoxicated, please take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft instead of walking or driving.
- Trust your gut instincts. If someone or something seems suspicious, leave the area, and alert a police officer or Safety Ranger.
- If approached by strangers for con games, such as, “I bet I can tell you where you got your shoes,” do not participate. Simply smile and walk past them.
- Lock car doors. Stow valuables out of sight in your vehicle.
- Ensure that your hotel room door is fully closed and locked at all times.
- Do not leave your drink unattended or accept drinks from strangers.
- Remember that most laws enforced in your city are enforced here as well.
NEW ORLEANS' DOWNTOWN PUBLIC SAFETY RANGERS
The Downtown Development District (DDD) created the Public Safety Ranger program as an integral element of Downtown’s public safety network. The Public Safety Rangers are a non-commissioned force of safety professionals who patrol Downtown on foot and on bicycle. They act as extra eyes and ears for the police and the DDD. Rangers are customer-friendly and provide visible coverage throughout Downtown.
Visitors Downtown also can utilize the DDD Public Safety Rangers, who are on duty seven days a week from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Downtown SafeWalk escorts are offered free of charge within the Downtown DDD boundaries. Call or text 504-415-1730 to check availability.
As part of its continued effort to provide enhanced public safety services in keeping downtown safer, the DDD, along with Downtown property owners and managers, has partnered with the New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation with the SafeCam Platinum program, providing 36 security cameras in key locations in Downtown New Orleans, which are linked to the City of New Orleans Real-Time Crime Center. The Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) is a City of New Orleans Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness 24/7 facility that leverages technology to enhance public safety coordination, provides critical information to first responders in the field, and assists with investigations of criminal activity or other quality of life concerns.