Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins says reports that the city is not helping with President Trump's visit tonight are simply not true.

He says the city is helping, but he is following the law which he says places restrictions on the use of public resources for political events. But KEEL News has heard from Police Supervisors and many others who have told us the Mayor issued a "stand down order" telling Shreveport Police and Firefighters they were not to take part in providing resources.

Here's the Mayor's News conference where he addressed the story which we broke on KEEL News Wednesday morning.

The Mayor sent out this letter outlining his position.

Mayor Letter 1
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Mayor Letter 2
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But Congressman Mike Johnson sent KEEL News a copy of a federal statute (1550....USC 1752) that reads in part:

"Local law enforcement agencies continue to have the responsibility to assist in providing protection to the President while the President is visiting their localities, to conduct criminal investigations involving violations of State and local statutes which result from a Presidential visit, and to furnish police officers in adequate numbers to control demonstrations and other disturbances occurring in close proximity to places where the President is visiting."

Mayor Perkins now says city emergency responders will assist with the visit but he would not give details.

KEEL News has learned State Police and the Caddo Sheriff's Department have already committed to step up to provide traffic control in the place of Shreveport Police during the Presidential visit.

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