Columns & Opinions

Is chivalry dead?

It is clear to everyone, including retiring Sheriff Steve Prator, that the criminal justice system in Caddo Parish is broken. His words at the press conference on June 30 made his position perfectly clear: 'For 12 more months, I will say what is on my mind. ... At the end of 12 months, I'm trying to figure out a way that a private citizen can somehow fight crime and do something about our criminal justice system in Caddo Parish and in Louisiana. We are lacking transparency, and we're lacking oversight, and the citizens do not know.' For years I have been aware of the lack of accountability and lack of transparency in nearly all of the systems by which residents of Caddo Parish are controlled - the district attorney's office, the sheriff's office, the Shreveport Police Department, the mayor's office and various departments at City Hall. They all lack a framework which sets out the rules and procedures with which all employees, from the top 'boss' to the newest intern, must conform. I learned this over the past six months as I sent numerous 'public record requests' to the various agencies in order to discern just exactly what the rules were on a multitude of subjects. I was appalled, but not really surprised to learn that, with the exception of the Shreveport Fire Department, there don't seem to be any firm rules about much of anything in any of our community's policy makers' departments. It's difficult to find out if anyone is really in charge of anything. How can there not be total mess-ups on things minor and major when there are no rules to rely on? Chaos reigns in the offices of our chief executives. In a nutshell, the first thing I will do as sheriff will be to contact the folks at the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA), which was created in 1979 as a credentialing authority through the joint efforts of law enforcement's major executive associations: International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), the National Sheriffs' Association (NS), and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF).

When retired Judge James E. Stewart Sr. was elected Caddo Parish District Attorney in late 2015, he was determined to make the Caddo DA's office more visible and active in the life of the parish. He knew the modern expectation of the younger generations was for district attorneys not to just punish or “lock up” lawbreakers, but to also be active in the community to prevent future offenders. Now, eight years into the job, he has continued his goal to reach young people, especially now as violent crimes now being committed by younger juveniles shock our community and area. A recent manifestation was the June 25 “318 Takeover” free football camp, sponsored in part by the DA's office, where NFL players with local roots or ties, including former Haughton High School and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, came home to inspire more than 600 youth with tips and drills on playing football and, most importantly, succeeding in life. Another initiative aimed at youth was a March address to the student body at C.E. Byrd High School, from which District Attorney Stewart — a 1973 graduate and 1991 Hall of Fame inductee — held with his longtime friend, Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Scott Crichton.

The town of Haughton is celebrating today thanks to the successful efforts of State Senator Robert Mills and Mayor Kim Gaspard, who worked together to restore $2.7 million in funding for Haughton's much-needed water system expansion.

It has been a dozen years since a full general obligation bond has passed and has been funded, but what effect have these proposals made on the underinvested and blighted, predominantly black communities of Shreveport? In fact, the aforementioned 2011 GO bond proposal was developed to address much-needed repairs and reconstruction to city facilities, ranging from water and sewerage projects to major overhauls at most city-operated community centers and parks.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation‘s prestigious Angel Award program honors a Shreveport attorney for demonstrating exceptional dedication and service to the state’s children in need.

An apostrophe looks like a sperm with scoliosis. That’s fitting because the apostrophe is itself hobbled – by sloppy writers.

Is Shreveport City Council Clerk's Office Overstaffed and Over-budgeted?