South Bossier neighborhoods step up after feeling unsafe and forgotten
South Bossier residents feel forgotten and are taking a stance towards crime after last weeks shooting in their neighborhood.
It was a packed house Sunday, Feb. 16 at the South Bossier Library Aulds branch as members of the community and government officials attended the first Shady Grove/Bellaire Neighborhood Watch meeting.
Shady Grove residents, David and Kelly Smith, say crime in the area has gotten worse over the years and they are glad residents are stepping up to fight back.
“We’ve had several drug busts, we’ve had bicycles that (have been stolen), lawnmowers stolen, cars broken into, people race up and down the road. It’s a mess,” said Kelly.
David stated it seems that south Bossier has been forgotten and north Bossier gets all of the attention and money.
“It seems like all of the attention and money go towards north Bossier. South Bossier is a forgotten area,” Smith said. “This type of stuff wouldn’t happen in north Bossier. There are too many people of influence who live in North Bossier.”
David also noted that when police are in the area, it seems they are only there to write tickets and not combat criminal activity.
“When the police are down here, most of what the police are doing is running radar. They are not doing anything to curve the crime. We have wrote the mayor and our councilman, and you never hear anything back from them,” said Smith.
David continued to say that he has noticed over the years that many homeowners do not keep up their property in his neighborhood, which brings down the property value to all the homes in the area.
“If you don’t keep your property up then you get a lot of ‘riff raff.’ I’ve seen cars sitting in driveways up on blocks for weeks at a time, trash in the yards, all sorts of stuff,” said Smith.
David and Kelly both stated with the continued violence over the years, they have been talking about moving after they retire in two years.
“We now feel unsafe where we live. And, to be honest, it doesn’t seem like anyone cares. We shouldn’t have issues like this. Officials have to take care of their residents,” said David. “We have been talking about moving in a few years after I retire and it’s a shame. We like it here.”
The Shady Grove/Bellaire/Sun City Neighborhood Watch Facebook group was formed for residents as a result of the shooting that occurred in south Bossier last week and numerous car break-ins.
“The purpose of this group is to bring our community together and encourage safety in South Bossier. Recent events have led members of our community to consider leaving out of fear for the safety of their families. Until recently, this area has been a safe place to live and raise a family and provides access to an excellent school system. These recent safety concerns threaten that. We, as residents of Shady Grove, Bellaire, Sun City, and Pecan Park, are fed up with rise in safety concerns and are willing to do what we can to restore our home to the peaceful community it once was. This group provides us a place to discuss those concerns and address them as a community,” said a Facebook post on the Shady Grove/Bellaire/Sun City Neighborhood Watch Facebook group by Christina Akins.
