Gasparilla safety: Law enforcement prepares for Pirate Invasion following New Orleans terrorist attack

Tampa's security preparations for Gasparilla

FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis reports on what Tampa officials are doing to prepare security for the 2025 Gasparilla Parade on the heels of a New Year's Day terrorist attack in New Orleans.

TAMPA - It's that time of year again. As the City of Tampa prepares for its annual Gasparilla Pirate Invasion, police are making preparations to ensure safety for all attendees.

While Gasparilla is a treasured event in Tampa, the New Orleans terrorist attack just one week ago underscores the concerns for safety. The Tampa Police Department, along with its public safety partners, detailed plans for the upcoming Gasparilla parades at a news briefing on Tuesday.

"This year, we are approaching this year with more vigilance, if possible, than we have done in years past," said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.

READ: Children’s Gasparilla 2025: Here’s what to know

Castor said that while it's a signature event, and they encourage everyone to enjoy the festivities, law enforcement wants to ensure safety for everyone. Because from parades to neighborhood festivities, there will be dozens of miles and thousands of people in the city to protect.

Local law enforcement will be joined by state agencies and federal agencies like the U.S. Coast Guard, ATF and the FBI to patrol the water, sky, the parade route and the neighborhoods surrounding it.

"In response to the deadly New Year's Eve attack in New Orleans, the FBI will commit additional technical and intelligence resources to help bolster efforts, preserving public safety for the Gasparilla parade and festivities," said FBI Special Agent Josh Delmanzo.

The additional concerns were raised after it was discovered the New Orleans terror suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, traveled to Tampa in October – just 65 days before the attack. Details have not been released about why he was in the area, but he spent a few days in Tampa, the FBI confirmed.

File: Children's Gasparilla

"The subject of the New Orleans attack spent three days in the Tampa area from October 26-29, 2024," said Delmanzo. "We are exploiting every lead to determine the reason for this visit. At this present time, we don’t believe he had any significant contact with persons in the area."

Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said the department has vast experience keeping the public safe during large-scale events, adding that it's a task that's only been heightened since recent tragedies. He said that at this time, there is no perceived threats to the area.

"As Gasparilla season approaches, we want to reassure the public that security remains our top priority," Bercaw said. "We will continue our close collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement partners as well as our local event organizers to ensure our ongoing use of best practices and evaluate our comprehensive security plan to keep this a safe and enjoyable event for attendees."

The FBI would not answer questions about where in the Tampa region the Jabbar traveled, just reiterating that they do not believe he had any significant contact with anyone while in town.

FOX 13 also asked Bercaw if they would be adjusting or moving barricades further off the parade route.

"We're always concerned about copycats regardless of the incident that happened. And looking at our barrier plan is something that we are doing, and that's something that we will be discussing in our tabletop, and we will make adjustments if we feel the need to," said Bercaw.

Medical personnel will also be available on foot, in boats on the water and on bikes along parade routes.

What you can do: One way that people can stay up-to-date on developing situations is by texting the word ‘Gasparilla,’ to 888-777. Any updates related to Gasparilla will be sent out that way.

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