Shreveport Homicide Rate Lowest In Decades

Monica Rochelle lost the love of her life to a drive by shooting about ten years ago. She has lived in Allendale for 20 years and says violent crimes are abundant. "It`s scary, you have to lay on the floor to keep safe, you think they are going to come inside the house, and you go check on the children. It`s scary," explains Monica Rochelle. The Shreveport homicide rate is at a 28-year low the most deaths are in the Allendale and Ingleside neighborhoods with black males leading the statistic. Rochelle worries that one day one of her children could be a victim. "Put them in somewhere where they can be on the weekends, learn about not to shoot guns, and teach them how to grow up to be young man, not thugs," commented Rochelle. That is why organizations like One Hundred Men of Shreveport, Inc. are trying to reach out to those in need. "If there is some type of positive male influence in your life to discourage or to distract them from the negatives that is a step in the right direction," said Rickey Carthon, One Hundred Men of Shreveport, Inc. member. Medical professionals say parents should always be watching and listening to their children because they may be suffering in silence. "Post traumatic stress disorder in children is not at all uncommon if they have been repeatedly exposed to violence of if they have seen some very violent actions take place, and yet these are often not recognized or misdiagnosed," said Dr. Bruce McCormick, Ph.D, MP. Even though Rochelle knows the world can be bad, she still has dreams. "I hope they grow up to be strong little people`s they won`t be shot up, but hopefully i`ll be gone away from this neighborhood."