The French Quarter Management District (FQMD) Board of Commissioners has approved its 2019 Annual Report. Intended to provide a review of FQMD’s activities and financial performance, the report highlights FQMD’s achievements for the year. It is the desire of the leadership of FQMD to set ambitious goals to achieve the mission of the agency and provide transparent reporting to the stakeholders.
In 2018, more than 18.5 million people visited New Orleans, infusing our economy with more than $9.1 billion in the process. As the most-visited destination in the city, the French Quarter is the proud “Crown Jewel” of the city’s thriving tourism industry. However, millions of visitors bring with them an increased burden on the French Quarter’s historic streets, infrastructure, businesses, police, EMS and sanitation partners—a burden not covered by property taxes alone. Maintaining a safe, clean, high-quality French Quarter experience for all visitors, business owners, and residents is of paramount importance to the economic sustainability and cultural vibrancy of the city.
The FQMD’s signature program, the Supplemental Police Patrol Program (SPPP), proactively patrols French Quarter streets to help the NOPD deter crime. The SPPP patrols the French Quarter 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In 2019 alone, while conducting “blue light” crime deterrent patrols, SPPP officers:
- Responded to 6,271Calls for Service
- Made 13,044 Citizen Contacts
- Performed 5,110 Business Checks
- Made 222Arrests & Apprehensions
- Wrote 1,060Summons & Traffic Citations
- And Maintained 5 Vehicles that Patrolled 62,462 Miles
To further support the FQMD’s mission to identify and implement strategies for improving public safety throughout the French Quarter, FQMD has engaged an investigation and corporate intelligence firm to conduct a security study. The French Quarter Security Assessment endeavored to review the current security and safety infrastructure in the New Orleans Police Department’s 8th District, as well as the need, cost, and effectiveness of the French Quarter’s multiple security efforts and resources. The study will provide actionable recommendations around how to most effectively and efficiently deploy these resources moving forward.
Comprehensive bi-annual sidewalk and streetlight assessments were compiled by the FQMD’s Livability Committee providing accurate data to the City on the necessary infrastructure repairs required to maintain a safe pedestrian experience. The sidewalks were assessed based on tripping and wheelchair mobility hazard and each survey requires approximately 140 hours of volunteers’ time. The audit of French Quarter streetlights identifies missing and non-working lamp posts in need of replacement.
FQMD supported cultural development by entering into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement to enable the French Quarter Museum Association to begin raising membership dues to develop shared programing and coordinated marketing. As part of the shared mission to revitalize and nurture the cultural and historical features of the French Quarter, a group of museums approached the French Quarter Management District (FQMD) to serve as a fiscal agent for what they have named the French Quarter Museum Association (FQMA). The FQMA makes museum-going an integral part of the French Quarter experience.
The French Quarter Management District is a political subdivision of the state created in 2007 by the Louisiana Legislature as a means for the residential and business communities to work together to protect, preserve, and maintain the world-famous French Quarter as a safe, clean, vibrant, and friendly neighborhood.
The FQMD works to:
- Improve public safety, foster quality experiences, and enhance quality of life within the District
- Improve commercial and residential vitality
- Strengthen the District as a vital component of Louisiana’s tourism industry
- Aid in the preservation of the District’s architecture, quaint charm, and tout ensemble
- Beautify the District’s appearance
If you would like more information about the French Quarter Management District’s 2019 Annual Report, please contact, Karley D. Frankic at 504-323-5801 or kfrankic@fqmd.org