Shreveport Operation Leads to 58 Arrests

A massive operation in Shreveport over the weekend resulted in 58 arrests and nearly 50 guns have been seized. Shreveport Police teamed up with several agencies for what has been dubbed "Operation Blue Night".

Shreveport police officers joined forces with the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office, the Shreveport City Marshal's Office, Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Division of Probation and Parole, the ATF, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service,  and DEA to roll out this operation.

Shreveport Police Chief Ben Raymond discussed this operation and says this is one part of his plan to help curb gun violence in our community.  Raymond says a key to fighting violent crime is to keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals. The chief says data shows this can have a significant impact on reducing gun violence.

Chief Raymond says part of this operation is a commitment from the Caddo District Attorney's office and U.S. Attorney's office to prosecute all of these defendants as strictly as possible.

Chief Raymond says

Many of these arrested, the US attorney will look at them and determine whether they are a good candidate for a federal prosecution, and the US attorney will work closely with Judge Stewart in determining which cases need to be brought the federal level which we need to take take to Caddo District Court. A lot of times determining where an individual might get the most time whether we are we to keep an offender off the street for the longest period.

The Chief says these kinds of operations will continue as he works to find ways to stop the wave of gun violence in several Shreveport neighborhoods.