At Tuesday’s Shreveport Council meeting, a resolution of no confidence in Shreveport Police Chief Alan Crump failed on a 3-2 vote.
The resolution’s sponsor Willie Bradford and James Flurry voted for the resolution. Council members Jeff Everson, Oliver Jenkins and Mike Corbin voted against the resolution.
Council members Jerry Bowman and Stephanie Lynch missed the meeting due to medical reasons. If present, their votes could have enacted the resolution.
Bradford, Flurry, Bowman and Lynch face re-election next year. Everson, Jenkins, and Corbin are termed out.
After the meeting both Mayor Tyler and Crump acted as if the defeat of the no confidence resolution was a major victory. Seemingly they confused the failure of this resolution as a vote of confidence, which it clearly was not.
Perhaps it was only fitting that a local TV station was simultaneously airing a story
that listed Shreveport as number 18 in “America’s 25 Murder Capitols.” The ranking was based on 2016 crime statistics.
Crump was named acting chief in July of last year and then permanent chief in late November. No doubt he will attempt to dodge responsibility for the serious spike in 2016 murders on that basis.
Tyler has been mayor since late December 2014. It will be difficult for her to blame the crime rate on her predecessor Cedric Glover.
Bradford has taken heat on social media for introducing this resolution. Those critics should be ignored for the simple fact that they are not elected officials who should represent their constituency.
Both Tyler and Crump should expect continued scrutiny as Shreveport’s crime is almost a daily media story. Shreveport taxpayers should demand accountability from its top elected official.
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