Shreveport Police Blitz Targets I-20 Speeders Near Monkhouse
Shreveport drivers who treat Interstate 20 like a racetrack received a very visible warning Wednesday morning. Shreveport Police officers lined the eastbound entrance ramp near Monkhouse Drive, using LIDAR equipment to identify speeding vehicles before patrol units moved into traffic to make stops.
Why Shreveport Police Chose I-20 at Monkhouse
Shreveport Police Corporal Chris Bordelon told KEEL News on Thursday that the operation was organized in response to a troubling increase in deadly crashes across the area. According to Bordelon, Caddo Parish has recorded more than 30 fatal crashes this year and is leading Louisiana parishes by a wide margin.
“One of the main causes that we have is speeding,” Bordelon said.
The enforcement effort included traffic officers, community liaison officers, canine units and other members of the department. At one point, as many as 15 police vehicles were positioned near the Monkhouse exit. The operation lasted about three hours before some officers returned to their regular assignments.
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The Monkhouse location is also close to the department’s west Shreveport substation and traffic headquarters, giving officers a practical staging point for the coordinated operation during the busy morning travel period.
Officers Clock Drivers Near 100 MPH
Bordelon said officers identified roughly 150 vehicles traveling over the speed limit, with an estimated 150 to 160 citations issued. Final totals were still being calculated.
Several motorists were reportedly traveling in the 90-mph range, and at least one driver was clocked near 100 mph.
Police were not attempting to hide. Officers operating the LIDAR equipment were clearly visible beneath the overpass, while marked police units waited nearby. Even with that large presence, drivers continued passing the area at excessive speeds.
“We had, at some point, 15 police cars out there, and people were still driving by speeding,” Bordelon said. “People are not paying attention.”
More Shreveport Poilce Speed Operations Are Coming
Bordelon said the department plans to conduct similar enforcement operations again, particularly around the Interstate 49, Interstate 220 and Louisiana Highway 3132 corridors.
The department’s goal, he said, is not simply to write tickets. Officers want motorists to slow down before another serious or fatal crash occurs.
“We don’t want to write tickets,” Bordelon said. “We want people to slow down. Unfortunately, the only way we can do that sometimes is to write those citations.”
Drivers relying on radar detectors may not receive much warning. Bordelon explained that once a LIDAR detector alerts a motorist, police have likely already recorded the vehicle’s speed.