Business owners in favor of noise ordinance for downtown Shreveport
SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - Does noise play a factor in crime in downtown Shreveport?
That’s the discussion on the table for the Shreveport City Council.
In a survey conducted by the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), residents in a 25-mile radius of downtown Shreveport were asked what comes to mind when they think of the area. According to DDA, the most popular response was crime.
“It’s become a party atmosphere, a street festival. You can come, you can hang out, you can dance, you can drink. And it has gotten out of control,” DDA Executive Director Liz Swaine said.
Many individuals have pointed out that maybe loud music is what’s been attracting the large crowds. Now, local business owners and city leaders want the council to approve a noise ordinance.
“It’s very clear [and] tells you the hours. It tells you the noise levels. It tells you who can do what and what the consequences are if you don’t follow the rules,” Swaine explained.
Tim Huck, owner of Phoenix nightclub, has continued to express his concern over these large crowds.
“Well, there was a big concert, loud music [with a] couple thousand people on the grounds. Everyone standing in one place, everyone facing one direction, everyone showing you what they were doing down there,” he said.
Another club owner said the swarm of people outside her establishment, on public property, was out of her control.
“We were at capacity, so once we got to capacity, we could not allow anyone else in the building. Is that a Haze on Texas problem? No, that’s not a Haze on Texas problem. That’s an SPD problem. That’s a problem for everyone else, who is hired to police the streets,” Chelette Holden said.
KSLA News 12 reached out to Shreveport police for a comment on the crowds in downtown. They told us that a gathering of people on a sidewalk is not illegal.
“We do encourage people to attend the many events that we have downtown. We just want them to do so in a lawful manner, using the sidewalks where their available and staying out of the street for their safety and the safety of the drivers in the area,” Chris Bordelon with SPD said.
The Shreveport City Council postponed the vote on a noise ordinance on September 26 that could impact business owners and possibly limit large crowds.
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