In 1811, the State of Louisiana established the system of elective Police Juries to serve as the primary governing body for a parish. The general responsibility of the Police Jury is to levy the necessary taxes and administer the spending of these tax dollars for many parish operations. The authority of the Police Jury extends to all territory in the Parish which lies outside of an incorporated city, town, or village. Some responsibilities of the Police Jury apply to citizens who reside within incorporated areas of the Parish as well (such as within the city limits of Bossier City).

Although some parishes, such as Caddo, operate under a Parish Commission governing body, the vast majority of Louisiana parishes, including Bossier Parish, operate under the Police Jury system.

Included among the authority of a Police Jury, is the function of adopting ordinances and zoning regulations with regard to use of property, both public and private within the parish.

Decisions made by the Police Jury directly impact homes, neighborhoods and families.

For example, the Bossier Police Jury voted earlier this year to allow the rezoning of a tract of land on Airline Drive at Le Oaks (in North Bossier) paving the way for a large apartment complex to be built virtually in the back yards of the homeowners of Le Oaks Estates. (Photo taken from the back yard of a family home in Stockwell Place which suffered the same fate as Le Oaks, only at the hands of the Bossier City Council.)

The homeowners of Le Oaks presented compelling data arguing against placing the apartment in that particular location. The data included evidence that the complex would triple the traffic on an already tiny street, negatively impact drainage on the same tiny street which already has virtually no drainage, and pose a safety risk for neighborhood children. All resident arguments were backed up with empirical data. VTR covered the Police Jury actions on this matter in multiple posts HERE.

In the end, the Police Jury voted against the homeowners of Le Oaks Estates. See Page 2 of the minutes here.

Police Jurors who voted AGAINST the homeowners of Le Oaks who are running with opposition this Saturday are HENRY MITCHELL, WINFRED JOHNSTON, and JEROME DARBY.

As if to tell the public that their collective voices are of no effect, the Police Jury Attorney, Patrick Jackson, was quoted in the Shreveport Times back in March, 2007, as follows:

“There’s a misconception by the public, says Jackson.

“The public has this idea that if they demand something loud enough or strong enough from their elected officials, it should be done,” Jackson said. “But the jury can’t just arbitrarily tell people what they can and can’t do with their property. There’s laws and if the laws are followed the way they’re set up, then property owners can do what they want with it. If a resident doesn’t want commerce to happen around them, the easiest solution is to buy up the land and take it out of commerce.”

This is not only Police Jury Parish Attorney Patrick Jackson’s opinion. It is the opinion of his employers, incumbent members of the Bossier Parish Police Jury, who sit in silence as unelected and unaccountable Patrick Jackson makes such incredible and dictatorial statements to the local media.

On Saturday, please vote for change. It won’t be enough to return control of the Police Jury back to the people. But it will be a much needed and long over due beginning.