‘You didn’t solve anything by putting her in jail’: State lawmaker calls for more sensitivity training after Shreveport’s mother arrest

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - A Louisiana state lawmaker is calling for more sensitivity training for Shreveport police officers.

This comes after he watched footage KSLA obtained through a public records request of a Shreveport mother who was arrested on neglect of family charges. The arrest stemmed from conditions officers observed inside her home when they were called out about a domestic dispute.

The video provided some clarity about what happened when officers were called out to Calvinitri White’s home. It also stirred a lot of emotion for many in the community, including Louisiana State Representative Steven Jackson.

KSLA News 12 has been in touch with White, and she says she wants people to know her story.

RELATED: Body camera footage released in child neglect case after Shreveport woman cleared of charges

“I watched it last night before I went to bed, and I can tell you it really disturbed me more from what I saw.”

Representative Jackson spoke with KSLA after seeing the moments Calvinitri White showed officers through her home before being put in handcuffs.

KSLA requested the body camera video from White’s arrest not to show her pain but to better understand how the domestic disturbance call turned into an arrest on neglect of family charges.

In the video, officers noted roaches in the apartment, which are conditions that White says stem from a neglectful landlord.

“What really, really kind of disappointed me was she mentions the incident where the city had to cut the water off because the landlords failed to pay their water bill. So, she’s been a victim,” Rep. Jackson said.

Earlier this year, tenants at the Village Square Apartments had their water access limited to four hours a day. That’s because even though they were paying for the water as part of their rent, the owners didn’t pay that money to the city.

Jackson said he applauds the district attorney for deciding not to prosecute White once they saw proof she had requested help from her landlord multiple times this year to deal with bugs and other issues.

“She has a lot going on. You didn’t solve anything by putting her in jail. That’s why I applaud the district attorney for not prosecuting this case, and I think Shreveport police needs to go back to the table and say, ‘let’s retrain and let’s talk about how do we identify poverty.’”

He also said the fault lies with the owner of Village Square Apartments for not responding to tenants’ pleas for help.

“Yesterday, I was saying why don’t we just move on, but after seeing that video, there’s something deeper that we need to have a community conversation,” he said. “I’m going to continue to press the fact that the landlords, the owners need to be held responsible for the conditions of these apartments and for the money that they stole.”

On July 18, SPD issued this statement:

“While the entire situation is unfortunate, officers must often make difficult decisions based on the information available to them in real-time, using their five senses and training to assess the scene. This is precisely why the courts provide broad discretion when it comes to arrests based on probable cause.

At this time, we have found no indication that any department policies were violated. The officer acted in good faith, with the well-being of the children in mind—a decision that was later supported by detectives and the Department of Children and Family Services.

It’s important to understand that law enforcement cannot remove children from potentially unsafe environments without a criminal complaint. Our goal is never to separate families. However, the safety and welfare of our most vulnerable citizens will always remain our top priority."

KSLA also reached out to the apartment complex for comment and has gotten no response.

We will continue to follow this story and give you the first alert as we get new updates.