Frustrations Boil Over at City Meeting to Talk About Crime

Shreveport leaders have together again to talk about ways to fight crime in our community. They gathered on the steps of Government Plaza to talk about solutions to the wave of gun violence in the city.

Representatives from the Shreveport Fire and Police Departments spoke as did the Mayor, city council members, business and religious leaders.

Councilman Jerry Bowman told the crowd:

This is not just in the African American community. I don't want anybody to get that twisted. Because at some point it will go behind the gates and then it's really gonna be a problem and we'll have to call the Marines and the National Guard out. We need to do what we can do now to fix the problem.

In an impassioned plea, Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor talked about her frustration with what is happening in our community.

We have had so many press conferences until I am just absolutely sick and tired of being sick and tired. What message do we send. What message do I give the hurting mother or father? 7 and 9 year olds can't even sleep in their own beds. And these children can't play t-ball. Are you kidding me?

Taylor added:

What do we do. What do we say. When we ask the community to step up. We have to build that mechanism that says 'you can trust us' and we can count on it being done. So it has to come from the police department to the D.A. to the judicial system. It has to be that way where we no longer allow weapons to come into community.

Police Chief Ben Raymond says we all have to work together and find innovative ways to address the rising crime problem in our community.