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Shreveport police report year-to-date drops in shootings and homicides; council questions speed‑enforcement capacity after camera removal
Summary
The Shreveport Police Department reported reductions in shots‑fired calls, shootings with injuries and homicides compared with the same period last year, while council members pressed the department on traffic‑enforcement capacity after state action ended automated speed‑camera operations.
The Shreveport Police Department reported year‑to‑date decreases in several categories of violent crime and told the City Council the department’s new firing range and command vehicle are nearly complete, while council members raised questions about speed enforcement after state action removed automated camera technology.
The department’s presentation to the Shreveport City Council summarized comparative figures for the same period in 2024 and 2025: “shots fired” calls fell to 826 from 1,149 (a 28% drop); shootings resulting in injury declined to 86 from 125 (31%); and homicides dropped to 15 from 27 (44%), the chief told the council. The chief also reported reductions in vehicle thefts and armed robberies and said the department’s new firing range is “99% complete.”
Those statistics were delivered during the mayor’s communications segment, when Mayor Orsonault introduced the report and the chief spoke to council members. The chief said a command vehicle purchased under the 2021 bond package arrived recently and is being outfitted: “this new vehicle arrived to us yesterday morning about 09:00,” the chief said.
Context: council members welcomed the drops in violent crime but focused much of their discussion on traffic enforcement. Council members noted that the city recently lost automated speed‑camera capability after state action, which council members described as the removal of a technology line item. Councilman Green asked whether the department would need to certify more officers to cover speed enforcement without cameras; the chief said “there’s two things. There’s technology and there’s human resources,” and that reductions in technology “narrow that window” of proactive patrol time. Council members and the chief discussed how personnel and equipment decisions affect where officers can be deployed.
Clarifying technical and staffing details provided in the meeting: the traffic bureau was described as having 27 positions total (roughly 20 sworn officers around the clock, plus about five civilian positions); three investigators handle serious‑injury and fatal crashes; LiDAR (light‑based speed measurement) and radar were discussed as distinct technologies. The chief said certified LiDAR operators review each photo from automated systems and that speed cameras in the city previously had thresholds that required drivers to exceed the speed limit by about 11 mph in ordinary zones (lower in school zones).
Council members pressed for prevention programs as well as enforcement. One council member suggested exploring the RAD self‑defense program for assault prevention and asked staff to research sponsors and implementation options; the mayor said an intern will research prevention options this summer.
The presentation did not result in a formal vote or change in policy during the meeting. Several council members offered support for additional budget or staffing if needed; the chief said the department will seek balance between available technology and human resources.
The council praised the department’s equipment upgrades and the reported declines in serious crime, and members signaled interest in further discussion of traffic enforcement and prevention strategies at future public safety committee meetings.
