A Shreveport Police vehicle is parked in downtown Shreveport, La. Photo: Emilee Calametti / The Center Square
By Darren Svan | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Shreveport Police launched a major traffic operation Wednesday along a heavily traveled interstate to slow drivers down in response to a historic number of fatal crashes this year.
“We’ve had several complaints about speeding, as well as a record-number of fatal crashes related to pedestrians and speeding on the interstate,” police spokesperson Chris Bordelon told The Center Square.
With 31 traffic fatalities so far this year, Caddo Parish has the highest number of highway deaths in the state, according to the Center for Analytics and Research in Transportation Safety.
“One of the easiest ways for us to slow drivers down, unfortunately, is to issue those citations,” Bordelon said during an interview with News Radio 710 KEEL. “We're trying to correct the behavior we're seeing on our interstates.”
At one point, 15 police units saturated the area, issuing more than 150 citations on Interstate 20 near Monkhouse Drive. The department used a combination of on-duty traffic, K-9, community liaison and regular patrol officers.
A National Highway Administration grant helped pay for participating officers who were not on duty, Bordelon said.
Despite having approximately 127,000 fewer residents, Caddo Parish has recorded 63% more fatalities than Orleans Parish; when compared to the next closest in population, Calcasieu Parish, Caddo was 82% higher, the data reveals.
The three-hour operation uncovered a multitude of drivers far exceeding the posted speed of 60 miles per hour.
Bordelon said several speeders were clocked at 90 mph, while others touched the 100 mph mark. He believes that nearly all of the 150 citations were issued to those going 70 mph or faster.
The department raised concern about the alarming number of fatal crashes with city leaders several times this year.
In addition to drivers and passengers losing their lives, the data reveals that nine pedestrians were killed on local roadways, exceeding Orleans Parish by one. Orleans Parish includes the city of New Orleans, which is heavily used by pedestrians.
“We don't want to write tickets. That's not necessarily our goal,” Bordelon said on KEEL. “We want people to slow down. And, unfortunately, the only way we can do that sometimes is to write those.”
The parish is on pace to surpass last year’s total of 51 highway fatalities, which was 21.5% higher than the previous five-year average of 42 deaths.