Mayor Tom Arceneaux releases statement about recent violence

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - The Shreveport Mayor is increasing the number of cameras in violent crime areas and taking other steps to try and capture criminals according to his statement.

On March 25, Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux released a statement regarding several unspeakable acts of violence in the city. He references shootings at Villa Norte Apartments, South Lakeshore Drive, Clear Horizons Apartments, and Cedar Grove.

His final straw was the Logan street shooting and the downtown shooting that occurred on the same day he released his statement. He says the shootings will not be tolerated by the City of Shreveport and its overwhelmingly law-abiding citizens.

“As we continue to pray for the victims of these crimes, it is important for our citizens to know that the City will use everything available to it to both catch the perpetrators of these crimes and to prevent other crimes from occurring,” says the statement.

The mayor has instructed the Shreveport Police Department and other departments assisting to deploy more cameras in high-crime locations. Additionally, the mayor has called on the power of the U.S. Government to investigate criminal conspiracies that fall under the federal Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

The City believes that many of the recent violent activities could fall under the RICO statute, which carries extremely stiff penalties.

RICO violations include:

• Murder
• Robbery
• Dealing with a controlled substance or listed chemical.

“The City believes that the activities of many of the perpetrators of violent crimes have committed offenses that permit prosecution under RICO, and the Shreveport Police Department will be cooperating with federal authorities to provide evidence to support those prosecutions, “the statement continues.

Mayor Tom Arceneaux and the Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith are also talking with the Louisiana State Police (LSP) about utilizing their assistance in investigating the recent violent crimes in an attempt to bring the criminals to justice quicker.

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