Please look at this about shreveport!!! (New Orleans, Baton Rouge: crime rates, schools, colleges)

[SBCmetroguy]

^ I'm in agreement with the above poster, but I wanted to elaborate more on one point she made.

I love New Orleans very much, but everyone knows the crime problem the city has. Shreveport has nowhere near that crime rate and hopefully never will. New Orleans is still an awesome city to visit and explore. By this rationale there is absolutely no reason to not visit and explore Shreveport, which has a much lower crime rate.

I always have, and always will, promote my city. For so long it had a bad name because the economy was in the hole and crime was extremely high. But that was the Shreveport of the 1980s, when the oil industry dried up and left this area in shambles. It truly is nothing like that these days.

There's an article in this month's South Central Construction magazine which states that Shreveport-Bossier is in the midst of a huge boom in the film, biomedical, science, and technology industries. Those are all high-tech, high-paying industries, and we're already seeing growth in all those areas. The film industry is already light years beyond what it was pre-Katrina, and should only continue to grow. All the other industries I mentioned above are expected to explode with growth in Shreveport-Bossier in the coming years.

It's a great time to be here!

[CiCi23]

It is a great time to be here. I think ex-Mayor Hightower did a lot of great things to Shreveport, it has come a long way. Great Place!

[Kurt]

Originally Posted by CiCi23

It is a great time to be here. I think ex-Mayor Hightower did a lot of great things to Shreveport, it has come a long way. Great Place!

I will sit down here on North Toledo Bend just south of the Desoto Parish line and wait for the film moguls and stars to rent out my fish/hunt camp! Anyways, I have commented on how tacky things look on the road between the airport and Mansfield Road. But that is not representative of the city. I look forward to growth on my end of Shreveport--Provenance--and can't wait for the new Super Walmart in little old Mansfield. Keep the spirits up! I like the good attitudes here.

[IloveNOLA]

Originally Posted by CiCi23

Crime here is not as bad as NO though. This city is not like NO. You should visit this area sometime.

As someone who lived in Shreveport for many years before moving to New Orleans, I have never understood the habit of many Shreveporters to constantly make negative comparisons to New Orleans. New Orleans has a lot of violent crime, and although Shreveport has less murders, it is still a very violent city. I read in the Shreveport paper that Shreveport had 14 murders for the first quarter of this year. That is alot for a city of less than 200,000 people. Shreveport is usually in the Top 40 cities in murder rate, and it generally has a murder rate that is four times the national average. In 2004, the Shreveport metro area had the 14th worst murder rate in the country. It says a great deal about Louisiana that our three largest cities are plagued by so much violent crime. About the only safe "big" city in the entire state is Lafayette.

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by IloveNOLA

As someone who lived in Shreveport for many years before moving to New Orleans, I have never understood the habit of many Shreveporters to constantly make negative comparisons to New Orleans. New Orleans has a lot of violent crime, and although Shreveport has less murders, it is still a very violent city. I read in the Shreveport paper that Shreveport had 14 murders for the first quarter of this year. That is alot for a city of less than 200,000 people. Shreveport is usually in the Top 40 cities in murder rate, and it generally has a murder rate that is four times the national average. In 2004, the Shreveport metro area had the 14th worst murder rate in the country. It says a great deal about Louisiana that our three largest cities are plagued by so much violent crime. About the only safe "big" city in the entire state is Lafayette.

Seriously? Compare the PER CAPITA murder rates in Shreveport vs. New Orleans. No one was being mean, just honest.

Crime stats, PER CAPITA violent crime index, in order... Louisiana's top 3 major cities:

New Orleans - 9
Baton Rouge - 8
Shreveport - 7

Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed

[IloveNOLA]

Originally Posted by SBCmetroguy

Seriously? Compare the PER CAPITA murder rates in Shreveport vs. New Orleans. No one was being mean, just honest.

Crime stats, PER CAPITA violent crime index, in order... Louisiana's top 3 major cities:

New Orleans - 9
Baton Rouge - 8
Shreveport - 7

Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed

I'm not trying to say that Shreveport and New Orleans have similar murder rates. My point is just that both are very violent cities. In 2005, Shreveport's murder was 19.6 per 100,000 residents. This was higher than dangerous big cities like Dallas (16.4), Houston (16.3), Chicago (15.6), Phoenix (15), Miami (13.9), Boston (12.9), San Francisco (12.8), Los Angeles (12.6), Las Vegas (11.3), Denver (10.5), Orlando (10.5), and New York (6.6). For comparison purposes, Lafayette's rate was 7.1.

When you consider metro areas, the Shreveport-Bossier metro area had 10.7 murders per 100,000 people. This tied it with Los Angeles county for 15th. Not good company to keep.

You can see the impact of high crime in Shreveport by looking at the migration patterns in Shreveport. If whites aren't moving across the river to Bossier, they are leaving areas like Southern Hills and Highland and moving to southeast Shreveport and Caddo, especially in the Ellerbe area. All of those new southeast developments like St. Charles Place, the Haven, and Norris Ferry Landing are not being built because Shreveport is experiencing a population boom, as the city's population growth is negligible or it is losing people.

The biggest beneficiary of crime in Shreveport is Bossier. Bossier is laughing all the way to the bank with retail developments like the Boardwalk and the new Target, which will keep Bossier dollars over there and attract shoppers from Shreveport. The reason they made a big deal about the dress code at the Boardwalk was to send the message that it wasn't going to be another South Park Mall. It was a shame what happened to South Park because that was a nice mall at one time.

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by IloveNOLA

I'm not trying to say that Shreveport and New Orleans have similar murder rates. My point is just that both are very violent cities. In 2005, Shreveport's murder was 19.6 per 100,000 residents. This was higher than dangerous big cities like Dallas (16.4), Houston (16.3), Chicago (15.6), Phoenix (15), Miami (13.9), Boston (12.9), San Francisco (12.8), Los Angeles (12.6), Las Vegas (11.3), Denver (10.5), Orlando (10.5), and New York (6.6). For comparison purposes, Lafayette's rate was 7.1.

When you consider metro areas, the Shreveport-Bossier metro area had 10.7 murders per 100,000 people. This tied it with Los Angeles county for 15th. Not good company to keep.

You can see the impact of high crime in Shreveport by looking at the migration patterns in Shreveport. If whites aren't moving across the river to Bossier, they are leaving areas like Southern Hills and Highland and moving to southeast Shreveport and Caddo, especially in the Ellerbe area. All of those new southeast developments like St. Charles Place, the Haven, and Norris Ferry Landing are not being built because Shreveport is experiencing a population boom, as the city's population growth is negligible or it is losing people.

The biggest beneficiary of crime in Shreveport is Bossier. Bossier is laughing all the way to the bank with retail developments like the Boardwalk and the new Target, which will keep Bossier dollars over there and attract shoppers from Shreveport. The reason they made a big deal about the dress code at the Boardwalk was to send the message that it wasn't going to be another South Park Mall. It was a shame what happened to South Park because that was a nice mall at one time.

Okay. Now that you've explained your point I agree with you. I just thought you were getting offended and trying to make an incorrect comparison. The points you've made, however, are accurate.

The numbers I posted certainly didn't show Shreveport to have a low violent crime rate, but rather the third-highest of the state's major cities, which I agree is not a good thing.

Having been born and raised in Bossier, and living in Haughton now after a few years outside of Bosser Parish, I obviously see the differences between the two cities and I try to push Bossier as a good place for new residents to live.

Going back, though, downtown Shreveport is a great place. It's far less violent than it was during the 80s and is a mostly peaceful place to be. Lots of new developments, both public and private, are helping to make it a desirable place to be. The new convention center really adds to the vibrancy of downtown on weekends.

[CiCi23]

I never said anything bad about NO. I have nothing against that city. I was simply staing crime in Shreveport is not like NO. It is better. Their is crime all over but NO has more people and I was simply saying Shreveport crime is not as BAD as NO...You should read more before you assume everyone has something against NO a great city.

Originally Posted by IloveNOLA

As someone who lived in Shreveport for many years before moving to New Orleans, I have never understood the habit of many Shreveporters to constantly make negative comparisons to New Orleans. New Orleans has a lot of violent crime, and although Shreveport has less murders, it is still a very violent city. I read in the Shreveport paper that Shreveport had 14 murders for the first quarter of this year. That is alot for a city of less than 200,000 people. Shreveport is usually in the Top 40 cities in murder rate, and it generally has a murder rate that is four times the national average. In 2004, the Shreveport metro area had the 14th worst murder rate in the country. It says a great deal about Louisiana that our three largest cities are plagued by so much violent crime. About the only safe "big" city in the entire state is Lafayette.

[cariniabean]

I lived in Bossier City until I was 17. I went to college at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston (between Shreveport and Monroe on I-20). Then I moved back to Bossier, then Shreveport, then Bossier. I've travelled extensively throughout Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Without a doubt, the only place I would choose in Louisiana is Bossier City. It is clean and comfortable. Slightly small-townish, but without the "nothing to do" feeling. A lot of people live in BC and work in Shreveport. The AF base brings in many people from out of state, which I've always found to be refreshing. Amazingly, I don't have (as much of) an accent because my best friends in school were from California and New York, and my teachers were military wives who spoke clear, articulate English, not redneck-speak.

Unfortunately, I feel the need to escape from this state. The education system is....okay. I attended south Bossier City schools (Parkway, Sun City, Curtis, Elm Grove) and they are considered some of the best around. But they just aren't good enough for me to keep my kids in them much longer. The redneck culture of "guns, guts, and glory" just doesn't do it for me, either. The blind racism. The profusion of religion througout. There are things to like here, but each person will like and dislike different things.

My parents moved here during the building boom in 1978, the same year as the Bossier City tornado (which we have here occasionally). My mother lost her job in the oil industry bust, and my father is still in construction, which is STILL BOOMING!! My mother is in healthcare now, and the competition between area hospitals is spurring excellent growth and care.

I love Bossier City, but after 25 years, I just feel the need to move. I agree with what everyone else has said. I suggest you visit other towns, too - Natchitoches is really beautiful and if you want immersion in southern culture, it might be a good alternative to N.O. I visited N.O. often when I was younger (my grandparents lived near Gulfport, MS) and I love that city, but I would NEVER live there. And Baton Rouge is also called Cancer Alley. There are so many chemical factories there, and processing plants. There was a study done in the early 90s (sorry no source, this was taught in my science class in 8th grade) that showed a neighborhood overlooking an industrial area of B.R. had an extreme number of people on the same block getting cancer. Think Erin Brokovich! I couldn't bring my kids there. We actually joke as we drive through B.R. - "Hold your breath!" I've never taken the time to explore it, though. I just have lots of friends who lived there and then came back up to north Louisiana, vowing never to return to B.R. I have lots of friends still living in N.O. and loving it!

My apologies for rambling. One thing you'll notice down here is that people like to talk. (If the OP knew some of this already, it's okay as I wrote this for the general audience who browse the boards.)

[shreveportfirl]

According to Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed crime rankings in Louisiana cities are as follows (U.S. Census Bureau for Population) :

Shreveport Population 200,145: Ranked 3rd in State

Violent Crime 7
Property Crime 7

Bossier City Population 56,461: Ranked 8th in State

Violent Crime 6
Property Crime 6

New Orleans Population 484,674: Ranked 1st in State

Violent Crimes 9
Property Crimes 8

Baton Rouge Population 227,818: Ranked 2nd in State

Violent Crime 8
Propert Crimes 8

THEREFORE....OF COURSE SHREVEPORT IS 3RD IN THE STATE FOR CRIME!! IT IS THE 3RD LARGEST CITY IN THE STATE!!

Naturally there is more crime in cities with high population. But compared to Bossier...not all that bad considering size!