Mark it down. The honeymoon ended in less than two short weeks.
Wayne Smith was named as the interim Shreveport Police Chief at a late afternoon press conference on Aug. 26. For a few days Smith was the toast of the town, with interviews, congratulations and good cheer from all.
Smith was fortunate that the local criminal element took the weekend off right after his appointment. Crime was, for Shreveport, low and not too violent Friday through Sunday (Aug. 27-Aug. 29). After all, Smith had said that Shreveport was a “safe” city.
But then the honeymoon ended on Labor Day weekend.
A hospital was riddled with gunfire, and two cars with innocent passengers were the target of gunshots, thankfully with no injuries. But in a third car, a 13-year-old child was killed.
In another part of town, a woman was shot while driving her vehicle. And then a few days later, a man in an argument with another man was shot dead.
And just Wednesday, a house was used as target practice for 70 rounds.
Soo ... a new police chief and same tune when it comes to violent crime in Shreveport. And to top it all off, Mayor Perkins was out of town, which may, in reality, have been a good thing for him.
The old “good” new is that arrests have been made in both murders. The “bad” news is two untimely deaths perpetrated by 17-year-olds. Yes, 17-year-olds.
Smith has served 40 years as a police officer. This may or may not translate into meaningful experience to hold the position of chief. Time is not on his side, and the timeline for a plan of action to abate crime has not been shortened by a considerable margin.
Mayor Perkins has called a press conference to address crime on Friday (Sept. 10). And a town hall will be held at Byrd High School on Thursday, Sept. 16. Whether these two events will be more about nothing is a story to be told.
The next Shreveport City Council meeting is on Tuesday, Sept. 14. Smith’s predecessor, Ben Raymond, usually was taken to the wood shed. He will probably get a free ride at this meeting because he is the new kid on the block.
His predecessor had many tough times at council meetings, and how soon Smith will get the same treatment is only a matter of time.