Data Shows Shreveport Cops are Using “Sagging Pants" Law to Target Black Men, who make up 96% of all such Arrests

From [HERE] Black men made up 96 percent of the 726 arrests for sagging in Shreveport since 2007, according to statistics provided by the Shreveport Police Department.

Since the law against wearing pants below the waistline passed 12 years ago, a total of 699 black men were arrested for sagging, while 12 white men were arrested.

Adding 13 black women to the number of black men arrested made a total of 712 black people out of 726 arrests. The total number of white people arrested was 13, including one woman and 12 men. Black people made up 98 percent of arrests for wearing pants below the waist line.

Tuesday, City Councilwoman LeVette Fuller proposed to abolish the law prohibiting the public wearing of pants below the waist, exposing the skin or undergarments. At least three national news outlets reported on the proposal in connection with the death of Anthony Childs that occurred during an officer-involved shooting.

According to ordinance 50-167 sponsored by Calvin Lester, violators of the law can be cited and summoned to court, but the legislation was passed with an amendment. The amendment specified that violation of the law "shall itself not be grounds for an arrest or for a full search of the persons cited." 

"Since 2007, 726 individuals have been issued a summons or have been taken into custody for violating City Ordinance 50-167," Public Information Officer Christina Curtis wrote in an email to The Times on May 22.

Curtis also sent The Times a data set labeled "Arrests for Violation of City Ordinance 50-167" and the bottom of the data set had an explanation that said, "Some individuals received a summons and some were taken into custody."

The Times asked Curtis about the amendment to the ordinance that said violation of the law "shall itself not be grounds for an arrest." Curtis confirmed she didn't know whether any violators had been taken into custody only for sagging.

"We don't believe anyone was booked directly into the city jail solely for sagging. We have to read through 726 reports to know that for sure," she said.

Anyone who violates the sagging law can be issued a fine not to exceed $100 and up to one eight-hour day picking up trash or refuse, or performing other court-approved community service activities. For the second offense, a person can be issued a fine up to $150 and two days of community service. 

The Caddo Parish Commission passed an identical ordinance that banned saggy pants parish-wide in 2012. The ban applies to unincorporated areas and rural areas because Shreveport already has its own ordinance that covers the city.