Shreveport crime trend thwarted by 3 homicides in 9 days

(The Center Square) – The recent decline in Shreveport crime is showing signs of strain, as the first nine days of April recorded three homicides concentrated in the same area of the city.

During the first three months of 2026, Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith reported declining crime across the city, to include the homicide rate, which is tracking at a multi-year low, according to Smith’s City Council presentation made last month.

But April ushered in three violent killings in a five-day span just north and east of the regional airport in the city’s urban core. All three occurred within a nine-mile radius.

In response, the Police Department has increased patrols in the area, deployed a mobile surveillance truck and utilized a law enforcement helicopter over the weekend. Shreveport maintains a partnership with the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office for the use of the aircraft.

“Unfortunately, when it comes to this type of crime, we cannot predict when it’s going to occur but we can tell when w...