Shreveport's department of Public Assembly & Recreation (SPAR) operates 16 neighborhood community centers.
The centers offer many activities including sports, computer literacy, school youth and teen programs along with senior programs.
The community centers also offer special seasonal programs and events. These centers provide safe, supervised activities throughout the year.
Like any city facility, there are rules concerning the use of the community centers. These set forth the types of activities as well as individuals and groups that may use these facilities.
One of the SPAR guidelines is that the facilities cannot be used by organizations for their programs and that use of the facilities cannot be ongoing and consistent.
Compassion for Lives is a non-profit organization headed up by Carla Buntyn, its executive director.
Buntyn's group was denied a request to use Bill Cockrell Community Center's computer lab for two hours a day for four days a week. This request was denied, and rightly so.
Buntyn and others from her organization complained to the Shreveport City Council at its Monday, April 11, work session.
The fact that the Compassion group may have previously used a SPAR facility for its activities is not precedent for additional utlization that is contrary to the facility rules.