SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — Phase I of the City of Shreveport's Block by Block initiative consisted of a series of clean sweeps across the 11 neighborhoods: Cedar Grove, Queensborough, Mooretown, Ingleside, Broadmoor, Southern Hills, Highland, Allendale, Lakeside, Martin Luther King Jr., and Cherokee Park.

Mayor Tom Arceneaux says the success is evident by the numbers.

"We picked up 810 tons of trash. That's almost 1.8 million pounds of trash. We picked up over 3000 tires," Arceneaux says.

In addition to collecting trash, the Shreveport Fire Department installed 50 free smoke detectors and inspected hundreds of homes for fire safety.

Mayor Arceneaux believes that the only way to combat blight is for the community to work together.

"It isn't my plan. It isn't the city Council's plan.

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