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Barksdale Commander Has Harsh Words about Crime in SBC
The Commander of Barksdale Air Force Base has sent emails to Shreveport's Police Chief to express concerns about crime in our area.
Here's the full email Colonel Mike Miller sent to the Chief:
Thanks Chief Raymond, sincerely appreciate the data.
I have to be honest, this has been a tough month…and all together…a tough year for the 2 BW and Barksdale AFB family. Since I've been in command as of 18 June 2018, we've experienced an unprecedented, nine fatalities associated with Barksdale AFB. Five murders, two suicides, and 2 deaths from natural causes. What continues to be of concern to me and the overwhelming majority of Airmen and their families are the five murders.
TSgt Jason Kidd…shot by a 17 year-old attempting to burglarize his vehicle in Bossier City;
Mr. and Mrs. Jose…car-jacked while trying to help out what they thought was a fellow citizen in need and subsequently robbed and murdered;
Mr. Antonio Williams…Shreveport postman, married to Ivy Shelby-Williams who is a civilian Airmen in the 2d Medical Group, murdered while making his postal rounds; and,
TSgt Perry Bailey…murdered by his girlfriend's ex who was known to be dangerous and hostile.
I've been stationed at eight installations in my 25 year Air Force career and have never experienced anything like this. It's not just me either. It's the overwhelming consensus of pretty much every Airman assigned to Barksdale AFB…Shreveport and Bossier City are not safe places to live. It's THE number one concern expressed to me at EVERY commander's welcome session I hold…which is done twice every month.
I'm not exactly sure what needs to be done from a law enforcement stance, but suffice to say, I and my commanders continue to advise Airmen on the local crime realities and what parts of Shreveport and Bossier City they should avoid. One of the challenges is, the five murders I mention above did not occur in the historical high-crime areas. So again, I'm not quite sure what to tell Airmen and their families other than be smart, stay alert, and make good choices.
A bit of frustration dump associated with this email, but considering my team has been through two more memorials in the past 30 days for murdered members of the 2 BW family, I feel compelled to express my continued concern for the safety of all members of Team Barksdale.
Michael A. Miller, Colonel, USAF
Commander 2d Bomb Wing
These words are pretty harsh and have lots of people talking. KEEL News has reached out to Colonel Miller and Chief Raymond and are awaiting a response.