Bossier ADA Outlines Ideal Plan to Keep Criminals Off the Streets

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There has been a lot of discussion about crime in the wake of the 2 mass shooting that happened in Shreveport last weekend.  There had been a lot of talk about crime BEFORE the 2 shootings.

The first shooting happened just before 11pm on Logan Street in the Lakeside Neighborhood. Officers tell KEEL News 7 people were shot in this area when several people jumped out a car and opened fire with a rifle and a shotgun. Two of the victims were rushed to the hospital by private car while Shreveport EMS crews transported the other five victims to the hospital.

A few hours later, police were called to another mass shooting in downtown Shreveport. This incident happened at about 1:45 Saturday morning in the 200 block of Texas Street. Police say multiple suspects jumped out of a car and opened fire on pedestrians. Six people were wounded. Two of the victims have life threatening wound.

On Monday, KEEL News talked with both, the Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith, and Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator about their perspectives and plans on the violent crime happening in Shreveport.  You can hear both of those interviews on the KEEL Podcast here.

On Tuesday, March 28th, KEEL News spoke to local ADA Hugo Holland about what could be done to alleviate violent crime in Shreveport.  Holland had several suggestions.  Hugo said if he were "king for a day, there would be a couple things I would do."

Every case that I got from the police would be complete, and everything that I needed. Number two, because there's a list of things... number two, I would have a deep bench at the DA's office, knowing that if my 1st stringer couldn't handle a murder case, my second or third stringer could handle it. And I wouldn't have to worry about it.

 

Number three, I would have judges that actually follow the law. That's one of the big problems, that either the judges don't know what the law is, or that they don't follow it. I can't tell you how much time I wasted, prior to me working in Bossier/Webster where I don't have this problem, I  can't tell you how much time I wasted around the state having to take writs and appeals on judges that got things wrong.

 

And then finally, I would certainly change the parole system that we've got now. There are people that are getting out on parole that don't have any business walking the streets, and that's something that is a direct result of the current governor.

 

Holland continued: "There are people that are dead right now as a direct result of what our governor has done, and what some of our legislature has done.  There are people that were released early that shouldn't have been out of prison that went on to murder other people.  That's not something that I say lightly, but I can give you names. So the governor, and whoever voted on this soft on crime parole package... they've got blood on their hands."

You can hear the entire interview HERE on KEEL NEWS.com