Tom Arceneaux on Shreveport’s underdog spirit
Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux is leading one of Louisiana’s largest and most distinctive cities. A pragmatic voice on public safety and economic development, Arceneaux brings a deep appreciation for North Louisiana’s identity and its place between the cultures and markets of Louisiana and Texas. He recently spoke with American Habits editor Ray Nothstine about reducing violent crime, revitalizing downtown, attracting new investment, and the family, faith and food traditions that shape life in Shreveport.
Shreveport sits in northwestern Louisiana, close to Texas and removed from the cities that often receive more attention. Even as one of the state’s largest cities, does it have an underdog mentality?
Mayor Tom Arceneaux: Yes. About two-thirds of Louisiana’s population lives south of I-10, while we’re in the I-20 corridor. Sometimes we do feel like stepchildren, particularly when the legislature meets, because we don’t think North Louisiana receives as much financial attention as it should.
We also have a somewhat different culture from South Louisiana. There are really three Louisianas: New Orleans, South Louisiana west of New Orleans, and North Louisiana. Each developed very differently.
For a long time, we didn’t have a good north-south transportation corridor. As a result, our relationships developed more from east to west than from north to south, and you can still see that today.
A lot of people naturally think of New Orleans or Baton Rouge when they think of Louisiana. But Shreveport is 300 miles from New Orleans. In fact, we’re about as close to Austin, Texas, as we are to New Orleans.
We’re closer to Houston than we are to New Orleans, which is significant because one of the things we sell is our location, particularly for warehousing and shipping. We can reach a huge market within a day’s drive.
I think that’s part of the reason Amazon located a fulfillment center here. Shreveport is close to several major metropolitan areas with large populations.
Shreveport has struggled with violent crime historically, although recent measures show improvement. What is your strategy for continuing that progress, and what should residents expect to see?
Arceneaux: Recent studies don’t place Shreveport among the 10 Louisiana cities with the highest crime rates, much less among the 10 nationally. Part of our challenge is perception. We work hard to communicate that Shreveport is relatively safe and that most residents are unlikely to become victims of violent crime.
We do have neighborhoods with higher levels of crime, and much of our violent crime is concentrated in those areas. That doesn’t make it acceptable. We’re increasing patrols and directing resources where they are most needed. Many violent incidents, however, are unpredictable. If we knew in advance where a crime was going to occur, we would be there, but of course we don’t.
Although we publish crime statistics on the city’s website, residents may not find or review them. Those numbers have improved significantly during my three and a half years in office. I’ve asked the police department to report monthly to the Shreveport City Council, putting that information before the public rather than expecting residents to search for it themselves.
We also issue press releases about significant arrests. Our clearance rate is around 65%, which is excellent. In Shreveport, your chances of being caught are greater than your chances of getting away with a crime, and I believe that has a deterrent effect.
From a big-picture perspective, how does improving public safety support Shreveport’s broader goals—economic development, stronger schools and downtown revitalization? How do those pieces fit together?
Arceneaux: The long-term solution is cultural and sociological. We have to strengthen families and rebuild neighborhoods that support them. As people have left some of our central neighborhoods, we’ve lost parts of the social fabric that, in earlier generations, may have helped prevent some of this violence.
I do think we’re making progress. Educational outcomes are improving dramatically in Caddo Parish, and that is a very encouraging sign for the long term.
Most of our violent crime falls into two broad categories. The first is domestic violence. Somewhere between a third and a half of our violent crime is connected to a domestic situation. The second involves people who know one another and choose to resolve their disagreements with violence.
I believe we can make progress on domestic violence. The sheriff’s office and the city are working on a long-term plan to address it. Domestic violence increased significantly during the COVID crisis, and it has not really declined since.
We’re trying to make more resources available so victims can leave abusive relationships and move into healthier, safer environments. Again, none of that changes overnight, but it is something we’re actively working on and devoting resources to.
What changes are underway in downtown Shreveport, and what would you like downtown to become?
Arceneaux: First of all, downtown Shreveport is one of the safest places you can be. We do have some incidents in the early morning hours because several bars stay open until 6 a.m., and that is a concern. But for most people visiting downtown during ordinary hours, it is a very safe place.
Downtown Shreveport has also been preserved better than many downtowns. We still have a strong central core. Like many cities, however, we were affected by the shift to remote work during COVID, and several office buildings now have very low occupancy.
I’m having dinner tonight, for example, with people who are preparing to convert a long-vacant property into a mixed-use development that will be primarily residential. We’ve found that downtown housing works. I was skeptical at first because I wasn’t sure there were enough people in the Shreveport market who wanted to live downtown. But every residential development that has opened downtown has filled almost immediately. We may have demand for as many as 1,000 additional units.
I see real promise in mixed-use development, with retail on the first floor and residences above. It can be difficult to make those projects work, particularly when nearby buildings have different owners. In other cities, a single owner may consolidate office tenants in one building and convert another to residential use. That is more challenging without common ownership, but it is something the city and our Downtown Development Authority are exploring carefully.
I would also like to see retail return downtown. Much of it left during the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s. As the downtown population grows, I believe retail will begin to return as well.
The other major question is parking. We have a very good public transit system, but it is not extensive enough for most residents to live without a vehicle. If we want more residential conversions, we also have to provide convenient places for people to park. We’re examining what those options might look like for downtown Shreveport.
You mentioned earlier that North Louisiana can sometimes feel overlooked by the state. Where has Louisiana’s government been most helpful to Shreveport, and where would you like to see greater flexibility or support for local leaders?
Arceneaux: I would like to see more state funding for some of our larger projects, particularly when Shreveport can provide significant matching dollars.
That said, Gov. Jeff Landry has made several important commitments to North Louisiana. One is a $50 million investment connected to Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and G-Unit. We’re very excited about it. The project involves film and television production, but I also believe it will become a major venue and tourist attraction.
There are really three Louisianas: New Orleans, South Louisiana west of New Orleans, and North Louisiana.
Jackson plans to build a 14-story dome in downtown Shreveport. He brought in a temporary version for the Humor and Harmony Festival a couple of years ago, and people were fascinated by both the interior and exterior. He has some very promising projects underway.
The state has also helped us attract three data centers to the Shreveport-Bossier area. Together, those projects could represent roughly $20 billion in investment.
Louisiana Economic Development and Gov. Landry have made a real effort to support North Louisiana. He promised during his campaign that he would pay greater attention to this part of the state, and he has kept that promise.
You’ve lived in different parts of Louisiana, and the state has such a distinctive culture—it doesn’t feel generic or interchangeable with anywhere else. What do you love most about Louisiana?
Arceneaux: I’m from a whole lot of different places. I’m a location mutt. I’ve lived in just about every corner of Louisiana, and I’ve spent some time in Dallas and Houston.
I think Louisianans place a great deal of importance on family. That is certainly true of Cajun culture. I am Cajun, even though I don’t live in Cajun country.
Your name gives you away a little bit.
Arceneaux: It does. Cajun culture revolves around family, and that means it also revolves around food. Cajun food is traditionally inexpensive.
Cajuns were farmers and trappers. They weren’t wealthy people, and they certainly weren’t aristocrats. They had been driven out of several places before they reached Louisiana, so they had to scrounge and scrape to make a living.
Some of the dishes now famous around the world grew out of that experience—things like crawfish étouffée. Gumbo, of course, has Haitian roots. My own family originally came from Acadia, but they traveled by way of Haiti. When some of the things they had been promised there didn’t materialize, they came north to Louisiana.
It is a very family-oriented and faith-oriented culture. I think that appeals to people. It is probably a little less materialistic than many other cultures, and some people may not understand us because of that. But I think we would often rather spend time with family and friends than travel the world. That is reflected in our culture and in our traditions.
What makes Shreveport a place where people want to stay, build a life and raise a family?
Arceneaux: We have an excellent school system. Some of our schools face real challenges because they serve communities with significant poverty. But we also have some of the finest schools in Louisiana—and, I believe, in the country. Our students go on to compete successfully with students from anywhere else.
Shreveport is small enough that people know one another, but large enough to offer outstanding locally owned restaurants and strong cultural institutions. The Shreveport Symphony has been here since 1945, and it is excellent. We also have an opera company and a number of attractions that make the city a great place to spend a long weekend, including nature parks, an aquarium and a science and discovery center.
I also think Shreveport has become a real food destination. We’re not in Cajun country, but we have some fabulous restaurants that are distinctive without being strange. I try to eat at locally owned restaurants as often as I can, and I usually succeed. We have excellent steakhouses and great seafood—and I define seafood as something more than catfish and french fries.
I’m a big oyster guy. Gulf oysters are the best.
Arceneaux: Gulf oysters are terrific. We have several places that serve them—sometimes on the half shell, and often as oysters Rockefeller or grilled oysters. More broadly, Shreveport has a wide variety of both ethnic and traditional restaurants.
If you want seafood, we have an outstanding restaurant called Zuzul. It has great service, distinctive dishes and very fresh seafood.
For a steakhouse, there’s Superior Steakhouse, as well as 2Johns over in Bossier—although I don’t want to give too much business to our friends across the river.
Then there’s The Mabry House, a very distinctive restaurant right around the corner from my house in the Highland neighborhood. It’s a fine-dining restaurant in a renovated Victorian home, and Steve Mylar does an outstanding job with the food.
Well, I can at least get some spicy crawfish, correct?
Arceneaux: There are four or five good places for crawfish.
I like it when my ears burn and my nose runs.
Arceneaux: We have some of those.
