Shreveport, La — Ford Park may soon receive a major security upgrade, as city officials consider the installation of high-powered surveillance cameras and 30-foot poles with underground wiring to address growing public safety concerns at the popular but poorly lit location.
During today’s Public Safety Committee meeting, Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith revealed that Wilhite Electric submitted a quote of approximately $55,000 to install six 30-foot poles—three on each side of the park. The poles would be outfitted with surveillance cameras identical to those used in downtown Shreveport, equipped with flashing blue lights for added visibility.
Each camera is estimated to cost between $3,500 and $5,000, pushing the total project cost to between $75,000 and $85,000. However, that price does not include the lighting that will still need to be added for the cameras to function properly, as the park currently has no existing lighting and the cameras are not infrared-capable.
The total cost for Ford Park alone could easily exceed $100,000.
Chief Smith expressed skepticism over the project’s cost-effectiveness, but City Council Chairwoman Tabatha Taylor disagreed, saying, “Public safety shouldn’t have a price tag—especially when the public safety fund currently has around $2 million available.”
The $2 million surplus in the public safety fund—greatly generated through the school zone camera citation system—is shared between the Shreveport Police and Fire Departments. This raises questions about which department would be responsible for covering the cost of the Ford Park upgrades, or if the expense would be split between the two.
Councilman Gary Brooks asked if the cameras would be integrated with the city’s Real Time Crime Center, a request that was confirmed by officials.
The conversation also spurred broader discussions about the lack of lighting in many other city parks, particularly in underserved neighborhoods. Several council members expressed interest in expanding similar upgrades across Shreveport.
While no official timeline was announced, officials emphasized the importance of moving forward quickly.
As a reminder, all Shreveport public parks are closed after dark.
