The homecoming event last Friday (Oct.24) for Booker T. Washington (BTW) High School event was labeled “Rhythyms (sic) on the Red.” The Red River District was the event venue.
The promoter(s) applied for a SPAR permit as required by City of Shreveport ordinance. The permit was denied because the event applicant did NOT provide the required liability insurance.
Nonetheless the event went on as scheduled with no permit. A crowd of approximately 900 attended and violence occurred. There was no security at the event.
An email was sent at 2:29 p.m. on Friday (Oct.24) by a SPAR employee to over 20 other city employees referencing Rhythyms on the Red. The email read “This event is not permitted due to the applicant not providing insurance!”
The departments of the city employee are not indicated in the email addresses—just “shreveportla.gov.” It is NOT known if any addresses were Shreveport Police officers. Seemingly someone at SPD should have been notified.
This breakdown in communications led to an UNAUTHORIZED event in the RRD that possibility could have been shut down from the beginning by SPD. If nothing else, SPD could have had officers to monitor the crowd.
Maybe it’s time to put a moratorium on SPAR permits at the RRD until more proactive measures are added to the SPAR permit ordinance. But that will NOT stop unauthorized events. Additionally assigning SPD officers to physically be in the RRD to disperse crowds as they begin to gather should be seriously considered by SPD.