LeVette Understands the Challenges Facing Officers and Communities
LeVette grew up in Shreveport, where she was raised by her police officer father and teacher mother, so she understands the challenges our public servants face. She will support our police officers and invest in our communities to address the root causes of crime and violence. She knows that we can help our officers fight crime by investing in communities that have been neglected for too long. We can also prevent crime and lighten our police department’s workload by focusing on mental health services, community-based youth programs, and infrastructure.
LeVette is ready to tackle crime. She will champion higher salaries and the best training and equipment for police officers in order to fill the more than 100 job openings in the department and retain current officers. She will prioritize transparency among SPD, city government, and community through all available means, such as an independent police monitor and citizen review board. She will partner with local nonprofits and government agencies to expand after-school programs for sports, the arts, mentoring, and tutoring to give our kids more opportunities to grow and shine outside of school. She will also partner with LSU-HC to create mental health response teams, allowing police officers to focus their time and resources on crime and accidents. She will direct city funds to repairing infrastructure, improving parks and facilities, and removing blight, so people can use and enjoy safer, cleaner neighborhoods.
What has LeVette already done to improve public safety?
- Voted for a 13% raise for all Shreveport police officers and firefighters.
- Hosted a town hall about crime with Police Chief Wayne Smith, Sheriff Steve Prator, Director of Juvenile Services Clay Walker, and Real-Time Crime Center director Keith Hanson.
- Improved Highland Park through work with Shreveport Green and ReForm Shreveport.
- Removed 10 blighted properties in Caddo Heights by working with ReForm Shreveport, Shreveport Volunteer Network, and Property Standards Department.
- Called for a Department of Justice investigation into the deaths in custody of Tommie McGlothen, Jr., and Wavey Austin.
- Secured funding to repair downtown sidewalks.
- Worked with ReForm Shreveport to create a website where citizens could report water outages to the city during the winter storm of February 2021.
- Used ARP (American Rescue Plan) funds to purchase new equipment for police officers and new equipment for property standards.