Well, the requests are flowing in from several small towns in Caddo Parish. They are asking the Caddo Commission for funding to buy police cars or equipment. These requests are coming after one commissioner asked his colleagues to spend $2.8 million to buy 40 new patrol cars for the Shreveport police department.
The Commission did not move forward with that request from Commissioner John Paul Young primarily because there had been no request from the City of Shreveport. But Mayor Tom Arceneaux told KEEL News he would certainly appreciate the help and he asked his Chief of Police to put together an urgent needs list. That list did include some police cars, but it also had several other items.
What Local Small Towns Ask for Help
Mooringsport’s Police Chief has needs in the department. In a letter to the Caddo Parish Commission, Chief John McCaherty said the village currently has three vehicles – but only one is dependable. One unit is out of service due to major repairs, while another needs to be replaced. The town is asking for money to buy two used Ford Explorers, estimated at $56,000, plus another $10,000 to outfit them for police use.
The request says Mooringsport has a small tax base which makes it difficult to keep up with critical public safety needs, even as demands on officers continue…