Adrian Perkins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adrian Perkins
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| Mayor of Shreveport | |
| In office December 29, 2018 – December 31, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Ollie Tyler |
| Succeeded by | Tom Arceneaux |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 23, 1985 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | United States Military Academy (BS) Harvard University (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 2008–2015 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Awards | Bronze Star |
Adrian Perkins was born on October 23, 1985. He is an American politician who served as the mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana. Perkins studied at the United States Military Academy at West Point and Harvard Law School. He is also a veteran of the Army. In 2020, he ran for the United States Senate but did not win.
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Early Life and Education
Adrian Perkins grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana. He is the youngest of three boys. His grandfather was a sharecropper, which means he farmed land for a share of the crops.
Adrian went to Arthur Circle, Youree Drive Middle School, and Captain Shreve High School. In high school, he was active in student government and played football, basketball, and track and field. He was even recognized as one of the best in the state for track and field.
After the September 11 attacks, Perkins felt inspired to join the United States Army. He was accepted into the United States Military Academy at West Point. While there, he was chosen as the class president. He was the first African American cadet in the school's long history to hold this position.
Military Service
After graduating from West Point, Perkins became a field artillery officer. He was stationed at several military bases, including Fort Stewart and Fort Campbell. He also served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Perkins served in the Army for eight years. He completed special Ranger training and became a captain. He also led a company of soldiers.
Adrian Perkins received the Bronze Star Medal, which is a military award given for bravery or good service.
Becoming Mayor of Shreveport
On April 26, 2018, Adrian Perkins announced he wanted to become the Mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana. In the first election on November 6, 2018, he received the most votes. However, he needed more than 50% of the votes to win right away.
So, a second election was held on December 8, 2018. Perkins won against the mayor at the time, Ollie Tyler. He became the 58th mayor of Shreveport. He was the third mayor in a row who was Black and one of the youngest mayors the city had ever had.
What Mayor Perkins Focused On
Keeping the Community Safe
One of Perkins' main goals as mayor was to make Shreveport safer. He wanted police officers to work more closely with the community. This meant building positive relationships, not just focusing on law enforcement.
During his first year, serious crimes in the city dropped by 8 percent. This was the lowest crime rate since 1975. The number of homicides (murders) went down by 29 percent compared to the year before.
Growing the Economy
Perkins also worked to help Shreveport's economy grow. He focused on expanding the city's healthcare area. He also supported the growing aviation maintenance and technology industries in the city.
For example, in July 2019, a company called SuperATV invested $4.35 million in its Shreveport location. This created 117 new jobs for people in the area.
Using Technology for the City
Mayor Perkins wanted Shreveport to be a "smart city" that uses technology. He hired the city's first Chief Technology Officer. His team used technology to create an online budget called the "People's Budget." This made it easier for citizens to see how the city was spending money.
They also found millions of dollars that had been overlooked in past budgets. This money helped improve the city's savings. The city's technology department also saved money by getting better deals on phone contracts.
Managing the City's Money
When Perkins became mayor, Shreveport had a $1.2 million money shortage. To fix this, his team cut spending and found ways to bring in more money. In December 2019, the City Council approved his first budget. It was the first time in almost ten years that Shreveport had a balanced budget.
He also suggested adding a small fee to water bills for garbage pickup. This would help pay sanitation workers more and reduce how much money the city had to spend on trash collection. The City Council approved a $7 fee in March 2019.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the city faced a big money problem. Perkins' team made cuts to avoid laying off city workers or stopping important services.
Responding to COVID-19
Mayor Perkins acted quickly when the COVID-19 pandemic started. He used technology to find out where cases were in Shreveport. He noticed that many cases were in neighborhoods with a lot of people, especially African-American communities.
He then sent resources and information to these areas to help people stay safe. He also spoke out about how the virus was affecting communities of color more. His actions gained attention across the country.
City Rules and Changes
In May 2019, Perkins said he did not support the city's rule against people wearing "saggy pants" in public. The Shreveport City Council later voted to remove this rule in June 2019. This decision became a national topic of discussion.
Mayor Perkins also changed the city's insurance policy. He wanted to make sure that all businesses, including those owned by minorities and disadvantaged people, had a fair chance to work with the city.
Running for U.S. Senate
On July 22, 2020, Perkins announced he would run for the United States Senate. He challenged the current Senator, Bill Cassidy. Perkins received support from many important people, including former President Barack Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Mayor Perkins said he decided to run because of the pandemic and a lack of leadership in Washington. He felt it was a time for strong leaders. However, his campaign was not successful. On November 3, 2020, Bill Cassidy was re-elected.
Awards and Recognition
On November 8, 2019, the Pat Tillman Foundation gave Adrian Perkins their 2019 Make Your Mark Award. This award recognized him for showing values like service, learning, humble leadership, and making a positive impact in his work and daily life.
