The northeast cover of Travis and Marshall now has a new tenant--a satellite office of the Shreveport Police Department (SPD). A ribbon cutting ceremony was held yesterday at the location which has large SPD emblems on the Marshall and Travis Street windows.

SWEPCO owns this building, and SWEPCO has leased this location for the grand sum of $1 per year. So, the lease is technically not "free”, but it is the minimum amount that must be paid for a city lease of a location. SWEPCO is also waiving charges for electrical service.

SWEPCO is setting a great example of how business can help public agencies like SPD with a public-private partnership. Assisting with public safety should be a goal of all business owners and citizens as well.

This office will be the home base of the downtown SPD unit and the SPD mounted patrol. Having additional police presence in the downtown area is, of course, a positive for public safety. Just having the office itself, with the large window emblems, sends a very good message to the downtown community.

The timing of the "free'" lease could not be better with the upcoming Humor & Harmony Festival next week. SPD is a part of a large security effort being planned, and the downtown office space provides a good staging area  with its location across from Government Plaza which houses the Real Time Crime Center and the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office.

SPD Chief Smith advised this writer that additional furniture and equipment is needed for this new satellite office. To do my part, I presented him with a brand spanking new chair in a bag. Somehow I am not confident that it’s what Smith had in mind when asking for furniture and equipment.