Crime at The Jolie Apartments ‘out of our standard norm” since utility cutoff, police say

About the Unfolded situation

In a startling revelation, the crime rates at Jolie Apartments in Shreveport, Louisiana, have surged extraordinarily in recent weeks. This startling aberration in the statistics surfaced following a pair of reported fires, a shooting, and a mass relocation sparked by the gas and electricity cut-off due to unpaid utility dues by the landlords.

A review of police records indicate that there have been over 75 incidents of violent and property-related crimes at The Jolie from May 2023 to May 2024. While apartment complexes often witness a higher frequency of emergency service calls, recent events at The Jolie have been described by Shreveport police as ‘out of standard norm.’

Understanding the Outliers

Shreveport Police Cpl. Chris Bordelon stated, “However, since the news was delivered about the closing of those apartments, we have had some calls that are out of our standard norms, so to speak, involving some of the arson.”

Residents and people familiar with the situation at The Jolie connect the sudden crime surge with the recent events. Shantasha Elder, whose nephew formerly lived at The Jolie, expressed that the recent abandonment may have triggered a free-for-all sentiment among some individuals, inspiring them to commit crimes.

“I think it’s kind of correlated to what’s going on because by them knowing that they was abandoned,” Shantasha said. “So they just feel like they can go do what they want to do.”

Former Resident’s Perspective

A former resident of The Jolie, Christopher McFadden, who now works as a Lyft driver, said the current scenario is sad, but not unexpected.

“It’s been getting worse and worse,” McFadden said. “I’m a Lyft driver, so I drop people off there regularly. And you regularly see the trash isn’t getting picked up. More potholes occurring with none getting fixed. And just lots of loud disputes and whatnot not getting resolved.”

Police Warning

The Shreveport Police department has issued a plea to citizens, discouraging them from visiting the property for their personal safety, and have sternly warned that they will take appropriate actions against any law-breaking activities.

“We would just really encourage our citizens to avoid that property because nothing good is going to come from you being there,” Bordelon said.