Plus, mayors recognize Rick Rowe’s contributions to city

Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux had a busy week last week as he traveled to Baton Rouge to state the city’s case on some bills in the Louisiana Legislature.

Arceneaux spoke in opposition to a bill that would prevent the city from using speed zone cameras outside of school zones. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Stewart Cathey of Monroe, would result in local officials being charged with malfeasance if speed cameras were used outside school zones.

The House Transportation Committee advanced the bill to the full House on a 7-5 vote.

“Well, we weren’t thrown out of the hearing room, and we ended up being a very close vote to 7 to 5 in the committee,” Arceneaux said.

The city of Shreveport has a contract with Blue Line to operate speed zone cameras in school zones within the city limits. Under that contract, Blue Line collects the fines for tickets issued by the camera. The city gets 65 percent of the revenue generated by those tickets.

The administration had plans to put additional speed zone cameras in problem areas across the city, which were identified, in part, by city council members.

“We wanted to explain to them the real desire of those of us who were using them,” Arceneaux said. “They have been proven to change behavior and be an effective enforcement technique in light of the fact that we have a police officer shortage.”

He said one of the committee members asked about using the money to put officers on the street. The mayor informed the committee that finding more officers was more of a recruitment problem than a financial problem.

“The problem is that the math works, but the recruiting does not work,” he said. “We’re not able to replenish. We’re not able to put additional officers on the street with additional money because we can’t find the officers, and that is true across law enforcement right now.”

Arceneaux said that is why the speed zone cameras were a part of the city’s strategy.

“We’re all having to use technology and efficiencies to supplement our police force,” Arceneaux said. “It is much worse for some of the smaller towns than it is for the city of Shreveport, but that is a real concern.”

However, the mayor stated that the most significant reason the city aims to expand the cameras beyond school zones is that they have proven effective.

“This program in the school zones has been very effective in changing behavior,” he said. “We have fewer and fewer and fewer people who were speeding in school zones, and that is a very healthy thing. As it turns out, it really doesn’t cost the city any money and actually brings in some revenue, so it was very helpful.”

The bill has already passed in the Senate. It goes to the full House for debate. If it passes the House, it will be sent back to the Senate for approval of the House amendments.

Honoring a legend

Arceneaux got to do something he really enjoyed when he returned from Baton Rouge. He joined with Bossier City Mayor Tommy Chandler to surprise local television news legend Rick Rowe with a joint proclamation declaring May 21 Rick Rowe Day.

“That was a lot of fun,” Arceneaux said.

“That was something that Mayor Chandler and I thoroughly enjoyed doing.”

Arceneaux praised Rowe for his storytelling prowess and his longevity.

“Rick is a fixture around here, and he has been for 50 years,” Arceneaux said. “He’s been a great storyteller, mostly very positive, inspirational stories that have uplifted all of us in the community for these 50 years.”

Arceneaux said he and Chandler were both honored to celebrate Rowe.

“It was very special,” Arceneaux said. “He had no idea we were doing it, and it was a really very special moment. He’s kind of like me. He’s a cheesy guy, and we gave him a good bit of cheese this week. He’s a great guy and a longtime friend, and it was very special for both of us to be able to be there and do that for him.”