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Shreveport council schedules property-standards review after residents press enforcement of trespass law
Summary
Residents and a council member pressed the City Council to enforce state trespass law against squatters in vacant homes after fires; council scheduled a property-standards meeting and directed city attorney to draft clarifying legislation for council consideration.
Commissioner John Paul Young urged the Shreveport City Council to enforce state criminal-trespass law to allow arrests of people occupying vacant houses without requiring posted signage, saying squatters have started fires that damaged neighboring homes.
The request prompted Council Chairwoman Taylor and City Attorney Edwards to schedule a property-standards committee meeting to consider code changes the city can use to give police a clear path to remove or arrest unlawful occupiers. Mayor Snow and staff said draft legislation is expected for the council’s next meeting.
Young told the council he had consulted the district attorney’s office, which he said advised that subsection j of Chapter 14, Section 63 of the criminal code applies to the statute and does not require a posted sign to support probable cause for trespass arrests. “State law already allows SPD to arrest trespassers without any signage,” Young said in public comment.
City Attorney Edwards said subsection j primarily addresses woodland or timbered land and includes alternatives to a fixed sign such as painted vertical markers, but acknowledged the issue is legally and practically complex for single-family residential structures. Edwards and the mayor said Chapter 38 of the municipal code may contain provisions the city can amend to clarify enforcement and help the Shreveport Police Department act without needing owner contact first.
Taylor said a property-standards meeting would be scheduled before the council’s next full meeting so the attorney’s office can prepare proposed ordinances and the council can discuss enforcement scope, notice requirements, and possible homeowner compensation claims. Mayor Snow said staff is coordinating with the city attorney and the district attorney’s office and expects legislation to be available at the next council meeting.
The council and mayor emphasized that public safety is the priority and that property-standards, public works and police will participate in the follow-up meeting. Residents at the work session urged quicker action and suggested additional remedies such as vacant-property taxes and redevelopment incentives.
Council members said they want the legal language and implementation details vetted before taking final action. The record shows the council directed staff and the city attorney to prepare draft code amendments and present them at the next meeting for committee review.
