The 318: Shreveport considers $100,000 cars for police, approves majority black voting districts
This week in the 318, Shreveport's city council considered Hellcats for a recently resurrected police unit and approved a voter districting map with five majority black districts.
Shreveport forgoes $400k Hellcat purchase in favor of Dodge Chargers for new police unit
The Shreveport City Council is asking Mayor Adrian Perkins to approve an emergency request to purchase new, high-speed vehicles for the Shreveport Police Department.
Tuesday, the council voted to send a resolution to the Mayor that suggests a number of Dodge Chargers be purchased for SPD. That vote failed but the council's president asked that the mayor still consider the request.
"Since we don't have time to wait on another resolution, will you all just get started on finding companies who can do what we ask in this resolution then once you all get a figure of money we can approve," council president James Green asked the mayor, to which Perkins said yes.
Shreveport approves voter redistricting map with five majority black voting districts
The Shreveport City Council selected a voter redistricting map that creates five majority-black voting districts in Shreveport, leaving two to be majority white.
The creator of the proposed maps, demographer and LSUS professor Gary Joiner, suggested the council choose a map that would have created three majority-black districts, three majority-white districts and one "swing" district.
Instead, the map selected by the council at their Tuesday meeting reflects the city's majority-black status. According to the 2020 census, Shreveport's population is 57 percent black and 37 percent white.
As Shreveport's city pools open, management company talks inspiration and contract issues
The City of Shreveport opened four of its five pools Tuesday to what seemed like a record crowd, said 19-year-old lifeguard manager Evan James Whatley.
“I didn’t see these types of numbers at Querbes all last summer and now we’re setting new highs,” he said while on duty at the pool at Querbes Park and Community Center Wednesday.
Pools opened at four parks Tuesday: Airport Park, Querbes Park, David Raines Park, and Southern Hills Park. There are plans for the pool at Bill Cockrell Park to open once repairs have been made.
Kendrick Dante writes for the USA Today Network and is a government watchdog reporter in Shreveport, Louisiana. He enjoys cooking, concerts, and content. Email him at kdbrown1@gannett.com or connect on Twitter @kendrickdante.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: The 318: Shreveport considers $100,000 cars for police
