SHREVEPORT, La. – Shreveport City Council members are strying to reduce crime by putting money towards organizations that help with crime prevention.
Last year, Shreveport had 74 homicides. So far this year, 11 lives have already been claimed by violence.
Councilman Grayson Boucher says investing in programs like the Gingerbread House will make a difference in homicide rates in the future.
“But we’ve got good organizations in the city that I think if we fund them properly and they’re managed properly, we might see an end to this,” said Boucher.
The council approved giving $35,000 to the Gingerbread House. This initiative helps build cases to prosecute abusers and hopefully prevent them from committing future crimes.
The Gingerbread House helps child abuse victims and juvenile witnesses receive special care when gathering information about the crime. It also provides counseling so the children can heal and not hold on to trauma.
The council also gave $32,000 towards Project Celebration which the council also said helps in crime prevention.
“That’s where we see cycles of abuse repeated and we want to break those. And at the same time, we want to make sure that offenders are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law so that they don’t go on to victimize another child in our community,” said Jessica Miller, Gingerbread House CEO.
Project Celebration helps provide services such as medical, personal, and court advocacy to adult survivors of violent crimes.
“What these two agency’s right here are doing is extremely critical to the increase we have had with domestic violence incidents. And with the children that are facing the trauma of losing parents and grandparents at the hand of violence,” said Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor.
To donate to Gingerbread House, click here.
To donate to Project Celebration, click here.
