Is Shreveport perceived to be safe?

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — Is Shreveport perceived to be safe?

That’s one area of concern among some officials and residents after four shootings this past weekend claimed a life and wounded 15 other people.

“We have children dying in the streets. Funerals that we see every weekend. So it’s imperative for us to work with everyone in order to ensure safety,” District A Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor said.

Moms on a Mission, a group dedicated to supporting those who have lost loved ones to gun violence, says they’re working to create a positive perception of Shreveport.

“We don’t want to say that Shreveport is not a safe place,” member Betina Bolden said. “But what we want to say is we want to ensure that we’re doing all that we can to get lawmakers and stakeholders to do the things that they need to do to change these gun safety laws.”

Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said for citizens to not be afraid. Some of the shootings over the weekend are believed to have been targeted, he added.

“I encourage our citizens to continue to go about your life as best you can,” the police chief said. “It is so sad to say that in some of these events, innocent people get caught in the crossfire, such as we believe probably happened this past weekend.”

Smith said his department is working with several other law enforcement agencies to reduce crime in Shreveport, but it’s going to take a collective effort from all.

“An intense, constant effort of law enforcement, or it’s going to take an intense effort with the prosecution and an intense effort with incarceration where the system is working the way it was designed to work.

“And in conjunction with that,” he added, “it’s going to take a generational change. It’s going to take people wanting to do right.”

Taylor said: “This is multi-layered. And the perception of Shreveport as a city that is not safe, we’re going to have to change that perception because we don’t want that perception to breathe reality.”