Shreveport Mayor Cedric B. Glover and Shreveport Police Chief Henry L. Whitehorn announce a new anti-crime initiative that will pay citizens to help get guns off the streets and out of the hands of criminals.

A gun abatement program called “Save Our Neighborhoods” offers rewards to people who anonymously inform the police of suspects who may be illegally carrying a weapon. It is illegal for anyone without a concealed weapon permit to carry a concealed weapon. It is also illegal for anyone who has been convicted of certain felony crimes to have possession of a firearm.

It is also illegal to possess a firearm while committing or attempting to commit a crime of violence, or while in possession of or during the sale or distribution of controlled dangerous substances.

If that suspect is found to be in possession of a weapon and gets arrested for it, the citizen will receive $200 for a recovered handgun or $500 for a recovered assault rifle. The weapon will be seized and taken off the streets of Shreveport. Crime Stoppers is supporting the new initiative to combat gun crimes.

“This is another in a series of steps to take back our neighborhoods,” says Chief Whitehorn. “Billboards, posters and calling cards will be distributed throughout the city with the message that “Crime doesn’t pay, but stopping crime does!”

“This puts us in a position, if we are given the proper information, we can reach out, make the necessary contact and apprehend those individuals for being in possession of a weapon, being in circumstances which are illegal and it puts us in a posture to get them off the streets,” says Mayor Glover.

Tips should be called into Crime Stoppers at 673.7373 or by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at www.crimestoppersshreveportcaddo.com or www.ci.shreveport.la.us.