SPD operation undergoing adjustments

It’s assertive enforcement but with a compassionate air.”

That’s the way Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux describes Operation A.S.K. B.L.U.E., the Shreveport Police Department’s effort to stop squatters from occupying vacant or abandoned properties in the city.

Operation A.S.K. B.L.U.E. — Addressing Squatters Knowledgeably – Bold Legal Unified Efforts — began after the City Council approved changes to city ordinances that made it easier for officers to address the squatters.

“They went to 50 different locations a couple of weeks ago,” Arceneaux said last week. “They have made some other visits since then.”

Those visits have been productive, he said, and not just for reducing squatting.

“They made arrests not only for people occupying the abandoned properties, but also I think they recovered some weapons and some drugs,” he said.

Arceneaux said police are making adjustments based on what they have found in the early stages of this ongoing operation.

“They are going to adjust their timing,” he said. “They thought going out at 5 in the morning would be sufficiently early to catch people. Apparently, it wasn’t. They were already kind of up and out. They were starting their operation at 5. By the time they ended it, it was later in the morning. The sun was up, and people had scrambled.

“Any time you are planning operations like that, you have to make adjustments, and you learn from what you try to do, whether its successful or not.”

Success is not defined solely by arrests.

“When they are going, they are bringing information about alternative sources of housing and some mental illness information, too,” the mayor said.

As Operation A.S.K. B.L.U.E. continues, it will move onto other city areas, Arceneaux said. He added that Police Chief Wayne Smith is evaluating the operation to see if further changes need to be made to city ordinances.

“They will be doing this throughout the city,” Arceneaux said. “This operation went to 50 locations in Highland that had been reported as possibly occupied by people who weren’t supposed to be there. That was very successful. Hopefully, that will continue.”

Caddo Parish Day at the Legislature

Arceneaux was joined by his Chief Administrative Officer Tom Dark, City Attorney Marcus Edwards, Economic Development Director Bill Sabo and other city officials on a trip to Baton Rouge last week for Caddo Parish Day at the Louisiana Legislature.

It was a chance for local officials to meet formally and informally with state lawmakers and assert their priorities.

Dealing with squatters at the state level is among those priorities.

“There is a House bill by Rep. (Tammy) Phelps to make some clarifying changes to Section 63 of the Criminal Code, which is the criminal trespass section,” Arceneaux said. “That’s the part we had some issues with. Her bill would clarify some of those issues. We are supporting that in the Legislature.”

Shreveport officials also support proposed legislation related to landlords and unpaid utility bills, another issue the city has dealt with.

“Sen. (Sam) Jenkins has a bill that would create a lien on property for unpaid commercial water bills that would also establish priority above a mortgage,” Arceneaux said. That would “make it easier for us to collect on these apartment complexes that have thousands of dollars of uncollected water bills.

“And Rep. Steven Jackson has a bill that would make it a crime for a landlord to collect money for utilities in the rent and then fail to pay for those utilities, and we are supporting that.”

The mayor said the Shreveport delegation also planned to voice its opposition to some proposals.

“There is a bill to exempt food and prescriptions from sales tax, which would be a devastating financial issue for us,” he said. “There are bills to ban the speed cameras, and we are monitoring those. We would like to leave the session with the school zone cameras in place, because they have been very effective in motoring speed in school zones.”

State of the City

Mayor Arceneaux’s State of the City address is out. Residents can watch the video presentation on the city of Shreveport’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/watch?v=db0fTfKxi-8.

“I would love for people to have a chance to watch it,” he said. “All the feedback has been very positive. I am real pleased with it.”