Shreveport Police Dept.

Date: Oct 29, 2007

Phone: 318/673-6932 Fax: 318/673-6933

Contact: Kacee Hargrave, Public Information Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Detective receives award

The Texas Chapter of the American Foundry Society gave Shreveport Police Detective Roger Courtney an award for his outstanding efforts in combatting metal theft.

The society presented the award to Courtney during a special meeting held in Shreveport on Friday, Oct. 26.

Courtney handles the pawn shops, scrap yards and second hand dealers, working as a one-man unit to determine whether the businesses are following the requirements set forth in the Louisiana Pawn Law, as well as city ordinances.

From January to September, Courtney closed 56 pawn or scrap-related caes by arrest, including 10 cases that involved a group of people who were renting items from rental stores and pawning them at pawn shops. He has recovered more than $365,515 in stolen merchandise from pawn shops and scrap yards. He was instrumental in getting the LEADS On Line program to track stolen merchandise. He also is working on new legislation thta would require scrap yards to photograph and get a thumbprint of anyone selling scrap metal.

Information can be left with crimestoppers at 673-7373 or by logging onto the crimestoppers website at www.crimestoppersshreveportcaddo.com.

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View all SPD press releases at www.ci.shreveport.la.us/dept/police/spdnews