Shreveport man begins 'Stop the Violence' march

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SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) - One man is taking the fight against the recent violence in Shreveport into his own hands.

"Life is too short for all of this you know," said Kendrick Macon.

This comes after one of the latest shootings was just a few streets from him and his family.

Just a few days ago, crime scene tape was up in the Cedar Grove neighborhood. It was one of the scenes of another shooting in Shreveport.

One man decided that 9 shootings in such a short amount of time is enough.

"Kids get out of school this summer, it's time to stop the violence for the kids sake," said Macon.

Macon is a father of three, he lives in Cedar Grove off 66th street, just a few blocks from a shooting Saturday that started on 74th street, and ended on 76th and Thornhill, that left one man injured.

It was the ninth shooting in just over a week, so Macon decided it was time to do something.

"I don't want my kids to feel like they can't go outside and play because they're scared that someone's going to shoot, someone's going to strike out with violence or something like that. I want them to feel safe in their own neighborhood," said Macon.

Macon decided to begin a march to stop the violence. In part because he saw our story on Annie Spates who has been sitting on the corner of Lakeshore and Hearne, waving a sign that reads "Stop Killing."

"If that lady can sit out there and hold a sign up, all the young people ought to get together and march," said Macon.

Macon hopes this will open the eyes of others about the problem, and make his neighborhood safer for children this summer.

"People are going to do what they want to do, but this march is not just for, it's maybe to motivate them, maybe they have kids, maybe they have common sense enough to put their weapons down or stop the violence for their kids' sake," said Macon.

The march will take place on Saturday, May 21. Participants will meet at the Shower of Blessings Ministries on Fairfield and 66th street at 10:45, the march will start at 11.

They will march to 76th and Thornhill and back.

Macon hopes to do these marches throughout the summer.

Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler says she has also been coordinating efforts this month with the leadership of the Shreveport Police Department to address public safety.

"I'm very concerned about the recent violence in our city. Although these have been isolated incidences, I am aware they impact our entire community," Mayor Tyler said. "My heart goes out to the families that have lost loved ones to these senseless acts of violence; one loss of life is one too many. I have spent my life working to educate young people to get them on the right track."

Investigations of violent crimes reveal the vast majority of these incidents are the results of disputes between known parties who have some sort of relationship.

"It's very disheartening to see men and women make bad choices with irreversible consequences for all involved," said Mayor Tyler.

The police department command staff continually reviews statistical data in an effort to identify and address emerging crime patterns. Some of the changes include:

Adjustment of officers’ shift hours/days off
Increased police presence in problem areas
Implementation of special operations to address specific crimes through task forces made up of local, state and federal law enforcement

Community involvement is paramount to reducing crime. Community Oriented Policing is the cornerstone of the city's crime reduction strategy and emphasizes the goal of becoming more involved with citizens through:

Community Liaison Officers
Community Response Unit
Neighborhood Assistance Team
Pastors on Patrol
Citizens Police Academy
Auxiliary Officer Program
Youth Camps

"It's going to take our entire community working together to address this recent trend. We need everyone – families, schools, churches, nonprofits - who influence and touch the lives of our citizens to get involved," said Mayor Tyler. "We cannot always predict when and where a crime will occur. However, we are doing everything in our power to be as proactive as possible."