SHREVEPORT, La — Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux has declared a Public Health and Safety Emergency in connection with three Shreveport apartment complexes at which active ownership has ceased. The Declaration applies to The Jolie, Pines, and Villa Norte apartment complexes. It is effective immediately and will last until July 3rd, 2024, unless extended.
This Declaration was necessary because the owners’ actions have left the abandoned complexes as hazards to public safety and health. Squatters, scavengers and vandals have already begun to occupy and trash these complexes. Without the emergency Declaration, the Police Department may not have a legal way to require that these persons vacate the property.
Mayor Arceneaux cited several issues that made this Declaration necessary:
- The properties are unsafe to occupy since they lack running water or functioning toilets.
- The trash generated by squatters, combined with the trash generated as the last residents moved out, is also a hazard to public health.
- The properties are vulnerable to fires set by the squatters and scavengers. Two fires have already been set at The Jolie, one of which resulted in injury to three Firefighters. More can be expected if action is not taken.
- Criminal activity has been reported at The Jolie and Villa Norte and may be reasonably expected to occur at The Pines if squatters, scavengers, and vandals are allowed to remain there.
- The proximity of these properties to nearby residential and commercial areas presents both public safety and health concerns.
This Declaration gives the Police Department the authority to remove and, if necessary, arrest anyone who is occupying any apartment unit, camping on the property, or scavenging any item from the property. It also authorizes Public Works and Property Standards to address health and safety hazards and remove any and all illegally dumped trash and garbage. It further authorizes any and all City departments to act to prevent or eliminate hazardous conditions affecting public safety and health.
Signs will be posted at the entrances to these complexes advising everyone that entry is forbidden, and presence may result in arrest. The Police Department will enforce the ban by making periodic sweeps of the properties.
