News

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are drifting Wednesday and edging a bit lower from their all-time highs.

The S&P 500 was down 0.1% in midday trading, continuing a quiet and listless run since it set a record last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 69 points, or 0.2%, as of 11 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% lower a day after pulling within 0.1% of its record set in 2021.

Treasury yields were also holding relatively steady in the bond market after a report said the U.S. economy likely grew a touch slower at the end of 2023 than earlier estimated. The growth was nevertheless still solid, as the economy continues to defy expectations of a recession despite high interest rates meant to bring down inflation.

Nvidia was one of the heaviest weights on the market, dipping 1.4%. It’s been on a breathtaking run as it rides Wall Street’s frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology, which has raised criticism that its price has gone too far, too fast.

It and a small group of other huge stocks have been disproportionately responsible for the S&P 500’s run to records, which is often a concerning signal, according to Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. Broad gains among a wide variety of stocks are typically a more favorable sign that strength can continue.

Bumble tumbled 9.6% after it reported weaker results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The dating and friend-making app company, which recently revamped its leadership team, also gave a forecast for revenue this upcoming year that fell short of analysts’.

Boston Beer, the company behind Samuel Adams, slid 16.5% after reporting a larger loss than analysts expected. It was hurt by declines for its Truly seltzer.

Urban Outfitters dropped 13.2% after the retailer reported weaker results than expected. The company, which also runs Anthropologie stores, said sales are continuing to weaken at its Urban Outfitters locations.

Helping to limit the market’s losses was eBay, which rose 7.9% after reporting stronger results than analysts expected. Agilent Technologies was another strong force pushing upward on the S&P 500, rising 4.5% after beating forecasts for both profit and revenue.

Coinbase gained 4.9% to continue its strong run as bitcoin’s price keeps rallying. New exchange-traded funds that make investing in bitcoin easier have raised interest in the cryptocurrency, with BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin fund alone quickly growing to $7 billion in assets, for example.

That has helped bitcoin’s price top $61,000 for the first time since 2021. It’s pulling closer to its record of nearly $69,000 after rising more than 40% this year so far.

Beyond Meat soared 47.2% even though it reported much weaker results for the latest quarter than expected. Its revenue was slightly better than forecast after falling less than expected, and it said its profitability will likely increase through 2024.

Axon Enterprise, the company that makes Tasers, body cameras and other equipment, also turned in a better-than-expected profit report, and its stock gained 7.2%. It’s also forecasting growth in revenue of up to 24% this year.

In stock markets abroad, indexes fell across much of Asia and Europe.

Stocks fell 1.9% in Shanghai and 1.5% in Hong Kong. China’s largest private property developer, Country Garden, said Wednesday it’s facing a liquidation petition after failing to repay a term loan facility worth 1.6 billion Hong Kong dollars ($204.5 million). The first hearing in the case is scheduled for May 17.

The move comes after China Evergrande, the world’s most heavily indebted real estate developer, was ordered to undergo liquidation following a failed effort to restructure $300 billion in late January.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday is signing an executive order aimed at better protecting Americans’ personal data on everything from biometrics and health records to finances and geolocation from foreign adversaries like China and Russia.

The attorney general and other federal agencies are to prevent the large-scale transfer of Americans’ personal data to what the White House calls “countries of concern,” while erecting safeguards around other activities that can give those countries access to people’s sensitive data.

The goal is to do so without limiting legitimate commerce around data, senior Biden administration officials said on a call with reporters.

Biden’s move targets commercial data brokers, the sometimes shadowy companies that traffic in personal data and that officials say may sell information to foreign adversaries or U.S. entities controlled by those countries.

Most eventual enforcement mechanisms still have to clear complicated and often monthslong rulemaking processes. Still, the administration hopes eventually to limit foreign entities, as well as foreign-controlled companies operating in the U.S., that might otherwise improperly collect sensitive data, the senior officials said.

Data brokers are legal in the U.S. and collect and categorize personal information, usually to build profiles on millions of Americans that the brokers then rent or sell.

The officials said activities like computer hacking are already prohibited in the U.S., but that buying potentially sensitive data through brokers is legal. That can represent a key gap in the nation’s national security protections when data is sold to a broker knowing it could end up in the hands of an adversary — one the administration now aims to close with the president’s executive action.

“Bad actors can use this data to track Americans, including military service members, pry into their personal lives, and pass that data on to other data brokers and foreign intelligence services,” the White House wrote in a fact sheet announcing the move. “This data can enable intrusive surveillance, scams, blackmail, and other violations of privacy.”

The order directs the Department of Justice to issue regulations that establish protections for Americans’ sensitive personal data, as well as sensitive government-related data — including geolocation information on sensitive government sites and members of the military.

The Justice Department also plans to work with Homeland Security officials to build safety standards to prevent foreign adversaries from collecting data. It will further attempt better checks to ensure that federal grants going to various other agencies, including the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, aren’t used to facilitate Americans’ sensitive data flowing to foreign adversaries or U.S. companies aligned with them.

The senior administration officials listed potential countries of concern as China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela. But it is China — and TikTok, which has over 150 million American users and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd. — that U.S. leaders have been most vocal about.

Rep. Mike Gallagher, a Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, recently noted, “There’s no such thing as a private business in China.”

The senior administration officials stressed that the executive action was designed to work in conjunction with legislative action. So far, however, numerous bills seeking to establish federal privacy protections have failed to advance in Congress.

Albert Fox Cahn, a Harvard fellow and executive director of the nonprofit Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, said Wednesday’s order doesn’t address the core issue of Americans’ exposure to rampant data collection by industry and government — and the absence of a federal privacy law.

“For most Americans, the country of greatest concern on surveillance is the U.S. Americans are tracked every day by an increasingly invasive array of private data brokers and government agencies, transforming nearly every aspect of our digital lives into a marketing and policing tools,” he said.

“This executive order will do almost nothing to address the real privacy needs that most Americans have, and continues to conflate surveillance capitalism with foreign surveillance. Only in Washington, does privacy once again get misunderstood as a foreign threat, rather than a domestic industry,” he added. “None of this is a substitute for the civil rights and privacy protections the public so desperately needs.”

Wednesday’s move follows Biden’s executive order on artificial intelligence last fall that seeks to balance the needs of cutting-edge technology companies with national security and consumer rights.

That sought to steer how AI is developed so that companies can profit without putting public safety in jeopardy, creating early guardrails meant to ensure that AI is trustworthy and helpful, rather than deceptive and destructive.

The Federal Aviation Administration is giving Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan to fix quality problems and meet safety standards for building new planes.

The agency said Wednesday that the directive follows meetings with top Boeing officials, including the company’s CEO at FAA headquarters in Washington.

“Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements,” said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker. “Making foundational change will require a sustained effort from Boeing’s leadership, and we are going to hold them accountable every step of the way.”

The new deadline is being set as the FAA finishes an audit of assembly lines at the factory near Seattle, where Boeing builds planes like the 737 Max that suffered a door-panel blowout in January. Investigators say bolts that help keep the panel in place were missing after repair work on the Alaska Airlines jet at the Boeing factory.

Boeing Co., based in Arlington, Virginia, did not immediately return a request for comment.

Wendy’s says that it has no plans to increase prices during the busiest times at its restaurants.

The burger chain clarified its stance on how it will approach pricing after various media reports said that the company was looking to test having the prices of its menu items fluctuate throughout the day based on demand.

“Wendy’s will not implement surge pricing, which is the practice of raising prices when demand is highest. We didn’t use that phrase, nor do we plan to implement that practice,” the company said late Tuesday in a prepared statement.

Wendy’s Co. plans to invest about $20 million to launch digital menu boards at all of its U.S. company-run restaurants by the end of 2025. It also plans to invest approximately $10 million over the next two years to support digital menu enhancements globally.

Wendy’s said that its digital menu boards “could allow us to change the menu offerings at different times of day and offer discounts and value offers to our customers more easily, particularly in the slower times of day.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy grew at a robust 3.2% annual pace from October through December, propelled by healthy consumer spending, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday in a slight downgrade from its initial estimate.

The expansion in the nation’s gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of goods and services — slipped from a red-hot 4.9% from July through September. The fourth-quarter GDP numbers were revised down from the 3.3% pace Commerce initially reported last month. U.S. growth has now topped 2% for six straight quarters, defying fears that high interest rates would tip the world’s largest economy into a recession.

Far from stumbling, the economy grew 2.5% for all of 2023, topping the 1.9% growth in 2022.

Consumer spending, which accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic activity, grew at a 3% annual pace from October through December. Spending by state and local governments rose at a 5.4% annual rate from October through December, fastest pace since 2019. Growing exports also contributed to fourth-quarter growth.

Wednesday’s report also showed inflation pressures continuing to ease. The Federal Reserve’s favored measure of prices — the personal consumption expenditures price index — rose at a 1.8% annual rate in the fourth quarter, down from 2.6% in the third. Stripping out volatile food and energy prices, so-called core inflation was up 2.1%, accelerating slightly from a 2% increase in the third quarter.

The United States is expected to keep churning out growth in 2024. The International Monetary Fund expects the American economy to expand 2.1% this year — more than twice its forecasts for growth in the major advanced economies Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy.

Voters are weighing the economy’s health in advance of November’s presidential election. Many Americans are exasperated with high prices and blame President Joe Biden. Although inflation has eased and hourly wage hikes have beaten price increases over the past year, consumer prices are still 17% higher than they were three years ago.

In response to resurgent inflation, the Fed raised its benchmark interest rate 11 times between March 2022 and July 2023, taking it to the highest level in more than two decades. Higher borrowing costs have reined in the inflationary surge. Last month, consumer prices were up just 3.1% from January 2023, down from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022 and coming closer to the Fed’s 2% target.

To the surprise of the Fed and most economists, the progress against inflation has so far been accomplished without causing much economic pain. The unemployment has come in below 4% for 24 straight months, longest such streak since the booming 1960s. And employers have been adding a healthy average of 244,000 jobs a month over the past year, including more than 300,000 in both December and January.

American households are largely in good financial shape, allowing consumers to spend. And businesses have improved productivity by using automation and finding ways to make employees work more efficiently.

The combination of easing inflation and sturdy hiring and GDP growth has raised hopes the Fed can pull off a rare “soft landing” — vanquishing inflation without causing a recession.

“We think growth will slow but will remain positive over coming quarters,” said Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics. But the economy is likely to get a lift, she said, from Fed rate cuts later this year. The central bank has signaled that it expects to cut its benchmark rate three times in 2024.

Wednesday’s report was the second of three Commerce Department estimates of fourth-quarter GDP growth. The final revision comes out March 28.

By Elizabeth White | LSU Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE–A House committee passed a bill Monday that would allow individuals 18 and over to carry a concealed handgun without a permit as long as they are not prohibited from owning a firearm under state or federal law.  

The House Administration of Criminal Justice voted 10-3 to advance the bill despite opposition from New Orleans officials, who expressed concern about the safety of police officers and tourists visiting the city.

The Senate has already passed bill, sponsored by Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, and it now goes to the House floor.

“We are merely offering law-abiding citizens safety to exercise their self-defense rights without a fee or other governmental barriers from a violent criminal who has no regard for the law,” Miguez 

Political leaders and a police official from New Orleans voiced some of the main concerns.

“The City of New Orleans, as you all know, is different than other cities in the state,” said Helena Moreno, a former state representative and the current president of New Orleans City Council. “We are the only city that has millions of visitors coming into our city every single year.” 

Moreno proposed creating gun-free districts in areas like the French Quarter and the entertainment district by the Superdome. 

Rep. Alonzo Knox, D-New Orleans, offered an amendment that would have created the firearm-free districts but later withdrew the amendment. 

New Orleans Police Deputy Superintendent Lawrence Dupree voiced concerns about officer safety. 

“It puts law enforcement having to make a split-second decision, and always on every call for service in the back of their mind, ‘Is this person armed?’” Dupree said. 

The committee also passed Senate Bill 3, sponsored by Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek, which lowers the age in which a juvenile can be tried as an adult from 18 to 17.

“We know that older adults are recruiting 17-year-olds to do their bidding,” Cloud said. “We also know that in juvenile facilities 17-year-olds are recruiting the 14- and 12-year-olds to do their bidding. It’s perpetuating a cycle, and we have to stop it.” 

Opponents argued that the bill should only apply to violent crimes, but proponents emphasized that prosecutors will have discretion when it comes to trying 17-year-olds who commit nonviolent offenses and that the law would also serve as a deterrent. 

“The moment you pass this it will send a chilling effect to these 17-year-olds from New Orleans to West Baton Rouge throughout the rest of this state that you guys are now giving us the tools to fight back,” District Attorney Tony Clayton said. 

The bill passed to the House floor by a vote of 10-4. 

Piper Naudin | LSU Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE—A Senate Judiciary committee narrowly advanced a bill Monday to make public records related to juveniles charged with crimes.

The committee amended the bill, which had already passed in the House, and then moved it forward in a 5-3 vote.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Tony Bacala, R-Prairieville, was amended to publicly release only minute entries as a means to grant victims with more access to information on criminal proceedings.

The minute entries could include arrest and bail information, criminal charges, trial proceedings, hearings, court dates and the identities of those involved with the case.

Bacala said he believes it is necessary to “hold some of these children responsible at an earlier age” to encourage accountability and discourage recidivism.

Mothers, grandmothers and families came to testify on behalf of victims of juvenile offenders, filling up the small committee room.

Elizabeth Hansard was one of the supporters of the bill. She came on behalf of her son Noah, who was left paralyzed by two shooters during an armed robbery.

Out of safety concerns, Hansard said had to leave her home in Orleans Parish and move to a new community. Despite being the victim, her son’s name was the only one being circulated online.

“It should be the shooter’s name on the internet,” Hansard said. “We need to work together on this. We really need transparency.”
Sharolyn Price’s youngest child Brandon was killed by juveniles. She said two suspects are in custody, and one has not been arrested. One of them was on probation and had had multiple arrests, she said.

Dorothy White, the grandmother of a victim, said: “Transparency. We need it. We don’t have it.”

White’s grandson Darrell Scott was shot by a 13-year-old who had previously shot another man and then had escaped from prison for 10 days.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry’s team and the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association support the bill.

Representatives, lawyers and volunteers opposed to the bill raised their concerns about the risks of releasing the private information of juvenile criminals.

Rep. Alonzo Knox, D-New Orleans, objected to certain aspects of the program, worrying that it could put juveniles’ private information at risk when it comes to their future jobs, cyberbullying, and discrimination.

Some questioned how to define victims in these situations.

“All of the people who testified for this bill knew the perpetrator’s identity,” Sarah Whittington, an attorney for the Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana, said. “So how are they getting those if there is no transparency? This could have a terrible impact on a child’s life.”

Additionally, Whittington was concerned what would happen if records were sealed or expunged. She worried that innocent minors would not be able to escape the consequences of a criminal record.

Ashley Hill Hamilton, policy director of the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights, highlighted the need for providing children with support to keep them away from crime as opposed to only focusing on them before they commit crimes.

“People on both sides are affected. The district attorney is responsible for communicating with victims,” Hamilton said.

Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, also was critical of minors having their information released pre-conviction when they could be innocent.

The North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP) invites stakeholders and community members to join them at the highly anticipated 2024 Annual Meeting. Set to take place on Thursday, February 29, 2024, the event promises an evening of celebration, insightful discussions, and strategic planning.

At the Annual Meeting, President & CEO Justyn Dixon will deliver a keynote address highlighting NLEP’s accomplishments in 2023 and unveiling the organization’s goals for 2024 as outlined in a new strategic plan. Attendees can expect to gain valuable insights into key strategic initiatives, program updates, and the region’s existing industry landscape.

The event will commence with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and the program at 6:30 p.m. Guests will gather at the prestigious Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino Magnolia Ballroom for an evening of networking and reflection on North Louisiana’s economic development journey.

Sponsorship Opportunities: Businesses seeking to elevate their visibility can explore sponsorship opportunities at the NLEP Annual Meeting. Sponsors will have the chance to showcase their company to a diverse audience comprising local and regional businesses, top executives, elected officials, and community leaders from across 11 parishes in North Louisiana. To become a sponsor, interested parties can email the NLEP or visit their website.

Individual Tickets: Individual tickets for the event are also available for purchase. Attendees can secure their spot at the Annual Meeting until the end of the day on Thursday, February 15th. Investors can utilize the code “INVESTOR24” to access special pricing. It’s important to note that advance ticket purchase is required, and there will be no sales at the door. Ticket options include:

• Investor Tickets: $50
• General Tickets: $75

For inquiries or further information, interested individuals can reach out to Angie White, whose contact details are provided below:

Email: [email protected] Phone: 318.677.2559 | Or Click here

The NLEP Annual Meeting serves as a testament to the organization’s dedication to fostering economic growth and prosperity in North Louisiana. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of a vibrant celebration of achievements and aspirations in the region’s economic development landscape.

The Federal Trade Commission is suing to block a proposed merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons. The FTC says the $24.6 billion deal would eliminate competition and lead to higher prices for millions of Americans. The commission filed a lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court in Oregon. It was joined in the suit by the attorneys general of eight states and the District of Columbia. Kroger and Albertsons, two of the nation’s largest grocers, agreed to merge in October 2022. The companies said a merger would help them better compete with Walmart, Amazon, Costco and other big rivals.

What recession? Professional forecasters raise expectations for US economy in 2024

NEW YORK (AP) — This year looks to be a much better one for the U.S. economy than business economists were forecasting just a few months ago. That’s according to a survey released Monday by the National Association for Business Economics. The economy looks set to grow 2.2% this year after adjusting for inflation. That’s up from an earlier forecast of 1.3%. It’s the latest signal of strength for an economy that’s blasted through predictions of a recession. High interest rates were supposed to drag the economy down eventually. But the job market and household spending have remained remarkably resilient.

Stock market today: Wall Street holds steady, holding near record highs

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are holding relatively steady on Wall Street following mixed profit reports from U.S. companies. The S&P 500 was up 0.1% early Tuesday, still near its record set last week. The Dow fell 106 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite was up 0.3%. Macy’s rose after reporting better results than feared. Macy’s also announced a sweeping reorganization. Earnings reporting season is winding down for the big companies in the S&P 500, and the hope is that a remarkably solid U.S. economy will help profits grow this year. Treasury yields were mixed in the bond market.

Jacob Rothschild, financier from a family banking dynasty, dies at 87

LONDON (AP) — Jacob Rothschild, the financier and philanthropist from the Rothschild banking dynasty, has died at 87. His family announced his death in a statement Monday without giving details. Rothschild began his career at NM Rothschild & Sons in 1963, before he broke away from the family bank to start businesses and charitable organizations. He was chairman of Rothschild Investment Trust, now RIT Capital Partners, until 2019. His family described him as a passionate supporter of charitable Jewish causes and a keen environmentalist. He was chairman of the board of trustees at London’s National Gallery and chair of the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Boeing’s safety culture falls short despite the company’s efforts to fix it, according to experts

Government and aviation-industry experts say Boeing has made some strides toward improving its safety culture, but employees could still be subject to retaliation for reporting issues. That’s one of the findings in a report presented Monday to the Federal Aviation Administration. The experts say that when it comes to safety, there is a “disconnect” between Boeing’s senior management and workers. The experts say that safety training and procedures at Boeing change so frequently that it leads to confusion among employees. Safety at Boeing is being re-examined after last month’s blowout of an emergency door panel on an Alaska Airlines jet.

Yellen urges world leaders to ‘unlock’ frozen Russian Central Bank assets and send them to Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is offering her strongest public support yet for the idea of liquidating roughly $300 billion in frozen Russian Central Bank assets and using them for Ukraine’s long-term reconstruction. The U.S. and its allies froze Russian foreign holdings in retaliation for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine two years ago. The assets have been sitting untapped as the war grinds on, while officials from multiple countries have debated the legality of sending the money to Ukraine. Yellen said ahead of a Group of 20 finance ministers meeting in Brazil on Tuesday that it is “urgent” for the leaders to find a way to unlock the assets and use them to support Ukraine.

Macy’s to close 150 stores as sales slip as it pivots to luxury at Bloomingdale’s and Blue Mercury

NEW YORK (AP) — Macy’s will close 150 stores over the next three years, 50 by the end of 2024 after posting a fourth quarter loss and declining sales. At the same time the company signaled a pivot to luxury. It said it would open 15 of its higher end Bloomingdale’s stores and 30 of its luxury Blue Mercury cosmetics locations. While adjusted net income and revenue topped Wall Street expectations, the company offered a muted outlook for the year. Shares are essentially flat before the opening bell Tuesday.

Argentina’s president condemns threat by provincial governor to cut energy supplies in dispute

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — The government of Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei has condemned a threat by the governor of the oil-rich province of Chubut to cut off energy supplies to the rest of the country amid a dispute over funding reductions. The squabble between Argentina’s central government with the local provinces started late last week, when the government held back the transfer of around $15 million in federal tax revenues to the Chubut province. In response, Chubut Governor Ignacio Torres said his province would cut off oil and gas supplies Wednesday if the funds are not disbursed. Torres’ position was shared by five other governors in hydrocarbon-producing Patagonia.

California utility will pay $80M to settle claims its equipment sparked devastating 2017 wildfire

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California Edison will pay $80 million to settle claims on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service connected to a massive wildfire that destroyed more than a thousand homes and other structures in 2017. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says the utility agreed to the settlement on Friday without admitting wrongdoing or fault in connection with the Thomas fire. Investigations found utility equipment sparked the fire in two canyon locations. The Thomas fire burned across 439 square miles in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. State officials say it is the seventh largest blaze in California history. Edison says it will have a statement on the settlement later Monday.

Ohio commission awards bids to frack oil and gas under state parks, wildlife areas

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio commission has awarded bids to frack oil and gas under state parks despite statewide backlash and an ongoing investigation into possibly fraudulent support. The Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission granted the mineral rights to several out-of-state oil and gas companies. This allows them to frack for oil and gas under land parcels owned by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Department of Transportation, including state parks and designated wildlife areas. Fracking opponents decry the commission for lack of transparency, as there have been no public hearings, and say the commission is giving in to corporate greed. Commission chair Ryan Richardson did not make herself available for comment Monday.

Bossier Parish Sheriff Julian Whittington has announced that the overall violent crime rate in Bossier Parish remained stable throughout 2023, thanks to proactive measures taken by law enforcement agencies. Instances of rape, robbery, and intimidation notably decreased, while aggravated burglary remained absent for the third consecutive year.

According to Sheriff Whittington, the decline in violent crime can be attributed to the diligent efforts of the Joint Criminal Apprehension Team (JCAT) and patrol deputies, who focused on areas prone to such offenses and conducted proactive patrols. Instances of rape decreased by 30.2%, robbery by 66.7%, and intimidation by 73.4%, demonstrating significant progress in curbing violent crime.

However, while overall violent crime remained stable, the total number of criminal cases saw a slight 1.2% increase in 2023, with a total of 12 more cases reported compared to the previous year. Sheriff Whittington reassured citizens that minor spikes observed in specific categories, such as shoplifting and unauthorized use, do not warrant alarm, as they are reflective of low absolute numbers in the parish.

In terms of property crimes, Bossier Parish experienced a modest increase of 2.7% in 2023. Significant percentage increases were observed in cases of shoplifting, unauthorized use, and theft from auto. Burglary cases also saw a slight uptick, increasing by 7.7% from the previous year.

Sheriff Whittington emphasized the importance of community vigilance in mitigating property crimes, urging citizens to promptly report any suspicious activities to patrol deputies and adhere to the “Lock, Observe, and Call” approach to prevent vehicle burglaries in the parish.

Looking ahead to 2024, Bossier Parish remains committed to reducing overall crime rates, with Sheriff Whittington and the Bossier Sheriff’s Office reaffirming their dedication to this goal. They underscored the crucial role of community partnership in creating a safer environment for all residents and pledged to continue working collaboratively to achieve this objective.