Governor Landry is declaring martial law

Oh god what now?

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said Friday that special agents from his office will join a new multiple-agency task force to be deployed in the French Quarter and Central Business District during busy tourism weekends.

The news came just as tens of thousands of visitors began converging on New Orleans for the annual Essence Festival.

Flanked by top officials from nearly every local law enforcement agency, Landry said the task force would improve safety in what he called the city’s “notoriously crime-ridden” prime tourism areas during holidays.

“The task force hopefully is going to be perpetual, until we’re able to root out all crime in New Orleans, or until the city is able to put their hands around the problem here, working with the state,” Landry said.

Perpetual. Or until "we're able to root out all crime in New Orleans." You know, whatever comes first. Anyway, those "notoriously crime-ridden" tourist areas are already the most over-policed area of the entire city. NOPD, Sidney Torres's Appsketeers, the bonus NOPD patrols paid for by the hotels, the State Troopers body slamming people left and right. What is this new task force even going to do?

Police Department spokesman Tyler Gamble said the extra help will be under the command of the Police Department’s 8th District.

“I don’t believe they’re going to be dispatched to anything, but they’ll certainly be on our (radio) channels, and they’ll be able to respond if needed,” Gamble said. “Their main purpose is going to be for police visibility.”

Gamble said the task force members would mostly stay in their vehicles.

So they're gonna sit in their cars and listen to the radio. Ok got it. Hope they have a nice Fourth of July/Essence weekend in the "crime-ridden" areas. Hope the vehicles have working a/c.