Shreveport Councilman Calls for Immediate Action to Stop Violence

Residents of Shreveport have been dealing with rising violent crime rates for several months.

More than 60 people have been murdered so far this year which puts us on pace to top the record set in 1993 when nearly 90 people were murdered. The latest shooting claimed the life of 13-year-old Kelvonte Daigre. Another teen has been arrested for the murder.

Shreveport Councilman Grayson Boucher is calling for action now.

Boucher wants the following changes made:

-Immediately increase the starting public safety pay to $40,000.
-Implement a $3,000, one time hazard pay, from the American Rescue Plan money, to all police officers and firefighters.
-Request additional patrol from Caddo SO and Louisiana State Police to more suburban areas of the city. Sending more patrol units to high crime areas. (With city funding).
-Start negotiations with Sheriff Prator to directly book city prisoners into CCC. Sell or donate the city jail to Caddo Parish for increase juvenile detention beds.
- Immediately implement a curfew for those under 17. Holding the parents criminally accountable for infractions by their children.
- Immediately get the new police cars in service. Any officer that lives in the city should have a take home car.

Boucher says this is only a start and he recognizes it will take 5 votes to get anything done. But he says we are in an emergency situation in Shreveport and it is time to act. He says we can not kick the can down the road any longer.

He is calling on the Mayor and his colleagues on the Council to move quickly to take action.