(The Center Square) – Despite police statistics that show criminal incidents in Shreveport have declined this year, city leaders expressed concern over recent incidents in downtown, where public-private economic revitalization is underway.
Developers are exploring office-to-apartment conversions, and business and entertainment mogul Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson signed a deal this year to launch $124 million worth of economic development across multiple projects.
Representatives of Jackson’s G-Unit Film & Television also expressed interest at a meeting earlier this month for leasing the Red River Entertainment District, an area that once featured numerous restaurants, bars, shops and live music.
“It’s disturbing to me that we’re working hard to make Shreveport look good and then we have stupidity go on – a shootout less than 50 yards from a major hotel that’s hosting an event,” said Councilman Grayson Boucher.
Police Chief Wayne Smith provided an update at Tuesday’s City Council work session. The report said that most felony statistics are down compared to the same time last year.
Homicide was one of the exceptions, a category that increased by 25%, from 16 to 20 homicides year to date.
Domestic violence calls dipped by 11% and roadway crashes dropped by 5%, according to Smith’s report.
Fatal crashes within city limits rose 80%, increasing from 10 last year to 18 this year.
“I was downtown Friday afternoon and it was booming,” Boucher said. “Families pushing kids in strollers and it looked like I remember downtown in the late 1980s. I am very concerned about the violence that happened over the weekend.”
Shreveport police responded to a shooting along Commerce Street around 3 a.m. Monday. There they encountered two groups of people exchanging gunfire. Officers fired their weapons, striking one person who sustained injuries and was taken to the hospital.
They arrested four people and recovered several weapons. The incident occurred a few blocks from the casinos and Festival Plaza.
Downtown Shreveport hosted two major events on the same weekend: the annual Mudbug Madness festival and the Red River Rumble, a powerboat racing competition that drew thousands of visitors.
“If I invested in coming to the boat race, it would be devastating while I am on vacation to watch a shootout less than 50 yards from my hotel room,” Boucher said. “I don’t know if I would ever want to come back to Shreveport.”
