Shreveport Police Dept.

Date: Feb 04, 2010

Phone: (318) 525-5066 Fax: (318) 673-6933

Contact: Cpl. Bill Goodin, Public Information Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mardi Gras Parades set to roll February 6th and 13th

Shreveport’s largest Mardi Gras Parades, Centaur and Gemini, are all set to roll out at 4:30 p.m. on the next two Saturdays. The Shreveport Police Department would like to take this opportunity to pass on a friendly reminder to parade goers regarding some ground rules that are in place to ensure everyone has a fun, safe Mardi Gras experience.

Police will close Clyde Fant Parkway from Lake St. to Shreveport-Barksdale Hwy. beginning at 7:00 p.m. Friday night before each parade. Clyde Fant Parkway will then re-open to traffic at 7:00 a.m. on parade day so people can set up early Saturday.

The public will not be allowed to set up any kind of tent or recreational vehicle or save parking spaces on Clyde Fant Parkway or on the service road between Stoner Ave. and Shreveport Barksdale Hwy before 7:00 a.m. on parade day. Stakes, flagging tape, furniture, tents, and other such items left as space markers before 7:00 a.m. Saturday will be removed by police and discarded. Violators could be ticketed, towed, or asked to leave.

Revelers planning to park in the Broadmoor area towards the end of the parade route should heed all traffic signs, parking signs and remember not to block driveways. Officers will be posted at major intersections around the parade area. It is imperative that emergency vehicles be able to drive down residential streets, so parking ordinances will be enforced. Violators could be towed at their own expense.

The parades will begin on Clyde Fant Parkway at Lake St. and run along the same route as they have in previous years: south on Clyde Fant Parkway to Shreveport-Barksdale Hwy., west down Shreveport-Barksdale Hwy. to E. Kings Hwy., south on E. Kings Hwy. to the end of the parade route on E. Preston Ave.

The parade route does include an alcohol free family area that will be located on Clyde Fant Parkway between the railroad trestle just north of Veteran’s Memorial Park and Stoner Ave. The no alcohol rule will be enforced in the family area. Absolutely NO GLASS containers or glass bottles will be allowed anywhere along route.

Here are other helpful tips for those attending the Mardi Gras parades:

Parking:

* Parking on E. Kings Highway is reserved parking for permit holders only.

* No parking is allowed before 7:00 a.m. on parade day.

* On Shreveport-Barksdale Hwy. and Clyde Fant Parkway, parking is allowed behind the white lines only. Citizens cannot park where areas are clearly roped off and marked.

* No parking is allowed on Captain Shreve Dr.

* Restricted parking is allowed on the residential streets from Albany Ave. to Patton Ave. Some streets allow parking only on one side; other streets forbid parking. Look for parking signs and remember: the streets must remain clear for emergency vehicles. Violators could be towed.

*Handicapped parking is available at the E. Kings Hwy. Park, also known as the Duck Pond, and at the Veteran=s Memorial Park on Clyde Fant Parkway. A handicap parking tag or plate will be necessary to gain access.

Parade day street closures:

At 8:30 a.m., Crockett St. from Market St. to Clyde Fant Parkway.

At 8:30 a.m., Clyde Fant Parkway from Lake St. to Milam St.

Residents can gain access to Sci-Port until 4:00 p.m. using Lake Street.

At 3:30 p.m. the following streets will close:

E. Kings Hwy. at Preston Ave.

E. Kings Hwy. at Youree Dr.

Shreveport-Barksdale Hwy. (including the Shreveport-Barksdale Bridge)

Clyde Fant Parkway from Milam St. to Shreveport-Barksdale Hwy.

E. Preston Ave. will be closed to through traffic at E. Kings Hwy.,

Captain Shreve Dr., Knight St., and Clyde Fant Parkway once the parade turns onto E. Kings Hwy.

Clyde Fant Parkway between E. 70^th Street and Shreveport-Barksdale Hwy. will remain open.

Knight St. will remain open from E. Preston Ave. to Shreveport Barksdale Hwy.

Emergency Assistance:

* About 300 Law Enforcement Officers from Shreveport Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s and Wade Corrections will be working the parades. Officers will be in patrol cars, on foot, on bicycles, on horses and on motorcycles. Numerous vice officers will be in plain clothes to monitor underage drinking and nudity.

* Police will utilize several mounted cameras to monitor the parade route.

* Police will have command buses on Stoner Ave. near Clyde Fant Parkway, in Shreve City and on E. Kings Highway.

* The Shreveport Fire Department will have EMS crews stationed throughout the parade route.

No Throw Areas:

* In the staging area on Clyde Fant Parkway north of Lake St.

* The railroad tracks over Clyde Fant Parkway just north of Veteran’s Memorial Park.

* Stoner Ave. bridge over Clyde Fant Parkway.

* The exit from Clyde Fant Parkway. to Shreveport-Barksdale Hwy.

* Past the ending banner on E. Kings Hwy. and any points thereafter.

Parade Rules:

* No alcohol will be allowed on Clyde Fant Parkway from the railroad trestle just north of Veteran’s Memorial Park to Stoner Ave. This area has been designated the alcohol-free family zone. Violators will be subject to arrest.

* No glass bottles or containers will be allowed on the parade route.

* No one may cross parade barricades during the parade.

* No animals are allowed within 200 yards of the parade route, except animals that are in secured yards of residents living along the parade route and service animals.

* No dangerous objects or silly string.

* No one may throw anything at a parade float.

* Large flags or banners are not allowed within 50 feet of the parade route.

* No underage possession of alcohol. Violators will be subject to arrest.

* No public nudity will be tolerated. Violators will be subject to arrest.

Safety Tips:

* Don’t leave children unattended! Make plans to meet up at a particular location in case children become separated from guardians during the parade.

* Do not fight or struggle over beads.

* Keep a safe distance from the floats.

* Keep valuables at home, and make sure cars are securely locked.

* Don’t take purses or wallets to parades. Keep money and I.D. in pants pockets.

* Extinguish hot coals after cooking. Do not dump hot coals on the grass.

* Obey all traffic signs and direction from officers.

* Use common sense and treat others like you would want to be treated.

-spd-

View all SPD press releases at www.shreveportla.gov