Should SPD Station Be Located Downtown?

The Shreveport City Council has agreed on a 4-3 vote to put the bond issue on the ballot in November. One of the propositions includes $20 million for a new police station.

But the question remains, where should the police HQ be located? Some recently suggested the CenterPoint Building at 525 Milam could be an option. It's a 14 story nearly 250,000 square foot facility. It's massive and might, in fact, be too big. It's listed for sale for $2 million dollars.

Liz Swaine is Executive Director of the Downtown Development Authority and she tells KEEL News there are lots of big issues to consider before ever moving in this direction.

Chief Ben Raymond also expressed concerns about parking and ingress and egress around the building. He says security must also be considered.

Councilman Grayson Boucher toured the building this week and says many floors of this building are move-in ready and would simply need cubicles of some sort of dividers for offices. He says the city should at least consider this as a possible option.