By Don Walker, The Shreveport Times (Shreveport, Louisiana)
Property crimes are on the rise in southeast Shreveport, drug dealers are a plague on the streets of Cedar Grove and elderly residents in west Shreveport have become targets for thieves.
Those are concerns indicated in Shreveport police crime statistics for 2003, now under scrutiny by members of the Shreveport City Council.
Overall, Shreveport’s crime rate rose January through November in all but six of the city’s 18 police districts in 2003 compared to the previous year, for an increase citywide of 3 percent. However, the largest increase in the numbers of violent offenses and property crimes occurred in December, when the crime rate escalated by 10 percent over the previous year, according to statistics compiled by the Shreveport Police Department.
“The statistics are ugly, ugly, ugly,’ said City Councilman Mike Gibson. District D, which Gibson represents, saw increases overall for the year and in December. Property crimes are up in Springlake, University Terrace, Broadmoor Terrace and Cedar Grove, all included in Gibson’s district covering areas of south and southeast Shreveport.
“Almost every district is up in all categories. When you’re short on officers and cutting training academies it’s going to catch up to you and it’s catching up to us in a big way,’ Gibson said.
The annual crime report won’t officially be released by police until late March or early April, police spokeswoman Kacee Hargrave said.
Councilmen contacted suspect the upswing in the city’s crime rate is a reflection of manpower shortages and budget cuts imposed last year that led to a virtual hiring freeze in the Police Department. The department currently has 45 vacancies, including seven officers on military duty.
Police Chief Mike Campbell said the manpower shortage has had an impact, and he said more military call ups will soon expand the vacancies within his department.
“Any time you see that happen, it means we can be less proactive than reactive,’ Campbell said.
Budget cuts in the department amounted to about $1.2 million last year and forced the cancellation of a new recruit training academy scheduled for last August that would have filled some of the vacancies. The cuts also led the department to cancel some equipment purchases - primarily laptop computers and cameras for police cars - and put off discretionary training for already-employed officers.
The department has operated 30 to 51 officers below its maximum staffing since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. There are two recruit training academies scheduled this year, the first one beginning in March. However, those officers won’t be street-ready before year’s end, police said.
In the Cedar Grove neighborhood, statistics reflect a 13 percent increase in crime in 2003 compared to 2002.
“Residents are complaining about the drug dealing out there. If we can get more drug enforcement and vice in the neighborhood, I think that will slow down this increase in crime,’ Gibson said.
One of the highest percentage increases in crime occurred in the Western Hills and Yarborough subdivisions in City Councilman Theron Jackson’s district.
“Drug activity is definitely a concern in Cedar Grove, probably one of our main problems there,’ said Assistant Police Chief Mike VanSant. “Anybody with a drug habit is going to prey on somebody they know they can get quick money from by selling items and buying drugs. And it’s the same thing in west Shreveport. We’re in the same situation, where people are committing burglaries or going after older folks in the community. A lot of it is due to these criminals wanting money to buy drugs. It happens to be occurring in a neighborhoods where elderly and older people reside.’
According to police statistics received by the council, crime in the west Shreveport area jumped 20 percent over the previous year.
“Those neighborhoods have traditionally not been riddled with crime but I’m afraid people have forgotten that the criminals know what we know,’ Jackson said. “The folks who live in those areas are getting older and as a result have become more vulnerable, and their communities have become more vulnerable.’
Jackson holds monthly meetings in his district and has had police on hand to inform citizens and neighborhood associations what to do to protect their homes, neighborhoods and themselves.
“You’ve got to start by caring, to begin just looking out for one another,’ he said
VanSant said citizen input is vital for keeping the crime rate down.
“We can’t be everywhere at one time. If neighbors are watching out for their neighbors, and they see something suspicious, we can respond and hopefully prevent a crime from happening.’
Jackson commends police for their efforts, despite the slight increase in crime in 2003.
“I’m not blind to another issue. The manpower shortage is a concern, but we’re not in a situation where we have to rush and throw people out there who are unprepared, but we need to continue to recruit and retain competent police officers,’ he said. “The men and women of our police force have done an excellent job. They’re making bricks with straw. I think that’s a credit to their tactical capacities and abilities to police smart. I think they are owed credit for taking little and doing much with it.’
Crime declined by 15 percent in the Mooretown community, where Councilman James Green has worked with police to install video cameras to monitor criminal activity. It also declined in Highland and Stoner Hill, where Councilman Monty Walford credits an ongoing police Weed & Seed program that targets property standard violations and crime trends.
Gibson said more police protection is needed in his district.
VanSant acknowledges the increase in property crimes in southeast Shreveport, but argues it’s not for lack of enforcement. He cites growth in the area, increased traffic and new shopping centers and business development. On any given night, more officers are in areas of southeast Shreveport than any other district in the city, he said.
“Burglaries, car break-ins have increased. Those areas in southeast Shreveport are predominately above-average income out there. If you’re going to prey on somebody, would you break in at MLK or cars and stuff in Springlake and University Terrace? ...That’s why the chief is striving for community policing. The citizens need to help us. We need help from them.’
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The Numbers:
Here’s a comparison of crime statistics from 2003 and 2002.
2002/2003 and percentage change
Homicide: 44/49, up 11 percent
Rape: 119/106, down 11 percent
Robbery: 673/691, up 3 percent
Burglary: 3,417/3,568, up 4 percent
Theft: 9,389/9.748, up 4 percent
Total crimes: 16,502/16,945, up 3 percent
Overall violent crime: 2,055/2,063, 0 percent
Overall property crime: 14,447/14,882, up 3 percent