Cleaning Up Bossier

Sheriff & Officials (l-r), Mayor Lo Walker, City of Bossier, Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington, Bill Altimus, Bossier Parish Police Jury administrator, La. Rep. Henry Burns, Cindy Dorfner, La. Department of Transportation and Development, Tom Lawson, Keep Bossier Beautiful, La. Sen. Barrow Peacock. In rear on right, Capt. Doug Lauter, Bossier Sheriff’s Office, Sgt. Joe Parrish, Bossier Sheriff’s Office

Apr. 10, 2015 – 4:30 p.m.

BOSSIER SHERIFF, AREA OFFICIALS PLEDGE TO “CLEAN UP BOSSIER”

Encourage Residents to Get Involved

Welcome to Bossier Sign

Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington and city, parish and state officials teamed up for a news conference Friday morning in front of the “Welcome to Bossier” sign on Highway 3 to show their unity to “Keep Bossier Beautiful.” The goal is to remove litter and clean up the roadways, especially as our area prepares to welcome some 200,000 visitors for the Defenders of Liberty Air Show at Barksdale Air Force Base May 2 -3.

“Bossier is a great place to live, and people are moving here faster than we can build schools and highways,” said Sheriff Whittington. “Cleanliness is a part of it, and by keeping it nice, you get a good first impression when you go through a place. When I travel, I make a judgment on whether I want to get off the interstate and stop there to eat or spend the night by the way it looks. If it’s trashy and dirty, I go onto the next city or town. You only have one chance to make a first impression, and we want to make a good impression in Bossier.”

Joining Sheriff Whittington were Bossier City Mayor Lo Walker; Bill Altimus, Bossier Parish Police Jury administrator; La. Sen. Barrow Peacock; La. Rep. Henry Burns; Cindy Dorfner, La. Department of Transportation and Development; Tom Lawson, Keep Bossier Beautiful; and Capt. Doug Lauter and Sgt. Joe Parrish of the Bossier Sheriff’s Office.

Mayor Walker talked about the connection of crime and city cleanliness.

“I think there is a direct correlation between the way a city looks and the crime level,” said Mayor Walker. “Clean cities have less crime. For people visiting our area, if they see litter, they just keep driving.”

Rep. Burns noted the cooperation with area leadership – Sheriff Whittington, Caddo Parish Steve Prator, Mayor Walker and Shreveport City Mayor Ollie Tyler – and the consolidated effort to keep the cities and parishes clean.

“I think we’ve got the team players now to really make it happen,” said Burns. “I’m very excited to see our leaders so engaged.”

Sen. Peacock expressed his support from a legislative standpoint.

“Anything you need from the state, such as legislation to allow you to enforce the litter laws, we want to give you that support.”

Lawson also thanked Sheriff Whittington for his support and dedication, while Altimus and Dorner pledged their continued backing. Each year, Sgt. Parrish and Bossier Parish work crews pick up some 48,000 bags of trash over 2,000 miles of roadways to complement the parish and state beautification and cleanup efforts.

Sheriff Whittington and community leaders also encouraged area residents to get involved and help clean up their own neighborhoods by joining the “Great American Cleanup” on Saturday, April 18. Residents are welcome to come to the Viking Drive Substation at 2510 Viking Drive in Bossier City at 8 a.m. on April 18 to join others in cleaning up the streets of Bossier with the 2^nd Annual “Operation Clean Sweep.”

You can also pick up large trash bags at any of the Sheriff’s Office substations. You can then drop off your filled bags and litter in a dumpster provided by Progressive Waste Solutions that will be located at the Viking Drive Substation April 18 and 19 – please no large appliances, furniture or hazardous materials.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: • Lt. Bill Davis, Public Information Officer • Cell: 754-7976 • Office: 935-2053 • Fax: 965-3503