Chief Raymond Describes SPD’s Hectic, Snowy Weekend [VIDEO]

Shreveport Police Chief Ben Raymond talks about the SPD's response to Sunday night's snowfall and its aftermath.

"There was a lot of preparation going into this weekend, the Chief begins, "We knew about the possibility of this event for a week, we've had daily updates from the National Weather Service, we've had a lot of department head and staff meetings and I think everybody worked together well.

"Luckily, this was mainly a snow event, not an ice-accumulation event and I think that made a lot of difference."

Asked to explain the SPD's preparation for the potentially hectic evening, Raymond says, "We nade sure we had sufficient personnel scheduled to work and we also put units on a standby schedule to work patrols. All of our specialized units are working patrol today, we have all mechanics on standby ready to come in and we coordinate (road) closures with (Shreveport's) Public Works and (the state's) Department of Transportation and Development.

And what about crime numbers during a weather event? Does the crime rate go up or down? "We did actually have some crime over the last twenty four hours, fortunately not a lot. We have had reports of some vehicle break-ins...nut not a large amount. I think the bigger concern is always going to be roadway conditions and people driving when they otherwise shouldn't."