Shreveport citizens are keenly aware that many neighborhoods are plagued with unkept properties. Inoperable vehicles, high grass/weeds, yards full of trash, open/unsecured structures and falling down buildings are unsightly, decrease property values, and encourage crime. Its called urban blight.
The Shreveport Property Standards Department aggressively pursues enforcement of the Shreveport property standards ordinances. As a part of these efforts 12 neighborhood sweeps were planned earlier this year—to date 5 of these have been completed.
The sweeps generally require over 20 property standards inspectors and field crews, 10 Shreveport police community liaison officers, several zoning inspectors and a Caddo Parish animal control officer. The streets in the designated areas are driven, citations issued, tires picked up and high grass cut.
Through Mon. Nov,11 the first 4 sweeps resulted in 606 citations: 367 inoperable vehicles; 182 weed abatement; 45 care of premises; 7 demolition; 8 properties to be secured. And 1568 tires were collected.
Shreveport will have a new environmental property standards and a new environmental court on Jan. 1, 2020. The new code and court will expedite the resolution of property standards violations.
This Article is published in the November 22nd issue of The Inquisitor.