Shreveport Representative Alan Seabaugh (R)
Shreveport Republican Representative Alan Seabaugh plans to file legislation to create the Louisiana Violent Crime Task Force to study the dramatic rise in violent crime and the best way lawmakers can address the issue.
“So, what we need to first do is study how we got here, why do we have more violent crime, and then secondarily and most importantly propose legislation on how we can fix this going forward,” said Seabaugh.
Seabaugh believes the 2017 criminal justice reforms, also referred to as the Justice Reinvestment Act which resulted in the state’s prison population being reduced is a contributing factor to the increase in crime.
“When you ‘A’ let people out of jail early and ‘B’ tell them when you get convicted, you’re only going to serve 25% of your sentence it’s a disincentive to law and order,” said Seabaugh.
As for support for the creation of a task force, Seabaugh said he’s received positive feedback, especially from law enforcement.
“The Sheriffs’ Association and the District Attorneys Association both came out in favor of it, in fact, they both offered to help assist in drafting the legislation,” said Seabaugh.
Seabaugh plans to introduce the Violent Crime Task Force legislation in the spring, the session begins on April 10, 2023.
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