NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The city of Norfolk hosts many large outdoor events every year and, in the wake of what happened in New Orleans on New Year's Day, Police Chief Mark Talbot said safety has always been a top priority and will remain that way. FBI says driver in New Orleans rampage acted alone and was ‘100%’ inspired by Islamic State group "It's the kind of thing that reminds all of us how important it is to have men and women out there to put themselves on the line to prevent that sort of thing," Talbot said. Preventive measures can go a long way. In the New Orleans attack, local officials said protective barriers, known as bollards, were under repair and not up to protect pedestrians. "We also spend time reviewing and talking about what has occurred in other places so that we're learning from these successes and failures in other locations," Talbot said. Since Wednesday's attack, many feel a sense of worry about being in a crowd. The city of Norfolk has a vibrant outdoor event scene, and Talbot said there's no reason to fear. "I don't think we will ever find a way to prevent every single bad act," Talbot said. "That is simply a part of the human condition, but what we can do is learn from the patterns of behavior and learn from what happens in other cities and respond appropriately. We have a profoundly safe downtown, and we're gonna do everything we can to keep it that way." He said he knows that's the message across all law enforcement in Hampton Roads. "We're not putting any of our cities at risk by failing to communicate with each other about threats that we are seeing anywhere," Talbot said. He said residents can still expect a large security and police presence at events in 2025, and he feels that will be the same across the country. Talbot also adds that if you notice someone's behavior is strange or different, alert authorities immediately.