City looks to take appropriate action

Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux, the city council and Police Chief Wayne Smith are examining public safety measures in the city following the recent viral video of a fight near the Texas Street Bridge.

Police Chief Wayne Smith announced the arrest of five individuals in connection with the incident during a news conference last Thursday. All five were charged with disturbing the peace by fighting.

“The incident is concerning, but it’s not a cause for panic,” Arceneaux said last week. “Essentially, the initial reaction to it was a mob. It was really more of a street fight than a mob. But that’s still a concern. We want to make sure we are there, and we are looking at what we can do to make sure it’s more secure down there.”

Arceneaux said he was pleased with the police response to quell the incident.

“We actually had upwards of 20 officers in the downtown area, really in close proximity to this,” he said. “From the time the Real Time Crime Center advised them there was a fight, we were there in two minutes. The response time was very good.”

The incident prompted several discussions among city leadership, including a special city council meeting. The mayor said the city needs to be proactive, not reactive.

“We need to respond, but we don’t need to panic,” he said. “We have the resources that we need, along with some additional resources we will be requesting from our state and federal partners to bring this under control.”

One potential response could be a change in city ordinances.

“There may be some legislation we need to bring this under control,” Arceneaux said. “We don’t have a general loitering ordinance in the city of Shreveport. There is a long history in the Civil Rights movement behind loitering ordinances. We don’t have a general loitering ordinance, and I will be asking the city attorney about that.”

The incident is not unprecedented, the mayor said.

“In my view, there are a couple of trouble spots we need to pay attention to,” he said. “The one where this fight occurred is one of them. And the riverfront district is another. Occasionally, groups gather there without permits, often with sound amplification, and large gatherings occur. We need to be paying attention to that.

“A couple of years ago, we were having the same problem. Most of that centered around noise, but the noise was attracting these kinds of crowds. As a result, we took some very specific actions. We are going to be taking those same kinds of actions.”

Arceneaux said this incident could impact meetings this week regarding the proposed 2026 city budget.

“I think some of this activity may engender some proposed budget amendments,” he said. “My biggest concern is to maintain the operating reserve, because that is what protects our bond rating and the insurability of our bonds. We have got to be very careful of that, because that has very long-term ramifications if we lose trust with our bond insurers and our bond buyers.”

Arceneaux said the administration will take the necessary steps to stop this kind of “unacceptable” behavior.

“We will be very responsive to the concerns of the community,” he said. “We will take the appropriate action to get a handle on it. This is unacceptable behavior. It wouldn’t be acceptable in other places, and it’s not acceptable in Shreveport. We need to do what we can to put a stop to it, and we will.”

Back in the saddle

Arceneaux returned to work on Monday, Nov. 4, after a brief hospital stay to treat bacterial pneumonia.

“I’m feeling great,” he said. “I went through a course of intravenous antibiotics. I am grateful. When you realize I had bacterial pneumonia, the way you fight it is through antibiotics. And antibiotics are only about 100 years old. If this had occurred 100 years ago, we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation. So I am very grateful that the Lord has given us scientific knowledge to have the antibiotics.”

The mayor expressed his appreciation for the care he received.

“I had super care where I was,” Arceneaux said. “I basically was sitting around waiting for the next IV. I was treated exceptionally well. I received great care from the doctors and nurses, as well as the critical care unit, at Willis Knighton North. I couldn’t have asked for better care. I am under no restrictions. I am a little fatigued. But I am under no restrictions, so I can do whatever I need to do.”