BATON ROUGE — With summer approaching, city leaders are preparing for what has historically been the most dangerous time of year and the warning signs are already there.
Recent weeks have seen a string of shootings involving children and teenagers, including cases where young victims were caught in crossfire or handling guns themselves.
Mayor-President Sid Edwards said despite progress last year, the concern heading into this summer is real.
“Summer scares me. It really does,” Edwards said on UWK’s podcast Louisiana Unfiltered.
Kids & guns: ‘We have a bullet problem in Baton Rouge’
UWK has repeatedly reported on a growing trend in Baton Rouge: younger and younger children gaining access to guns.
Recent incidents highlight a troubling pattern across the city. In one case, an 8-year-old boy was killed after being caught in the crossfire of a shootout on San Juan Drive. Just days later, a 10-year-old girl died in what investigators described as an accidental shooting after a child gained access to a gun inside a vehicle.
UWK has also reported on shootings involving teenagers, including a 17-year-old killed in gun violence, as well as a growing number of incidents involving guns showing up on school campuses, including cases where young children have brought firearms into classrooms.
Together, these cases point to a broader issue law enforcement and city leaders continue to raise: guns are increasingly accessible to children, often with deadly consequences.
“We have a bullet problem in Baton Rouge,” Edwards said. “Not only do they have guns, we shoot everything. We shoot stop signs, we shoot dogs, we shoot into the ground, we shoot into the air. These kids who have guns don’t have gun training.”
“It’s real. There are kids that are 10, 11, 12, 13 years old who are carrying. They’ve got these guns now. They think it’s cool.”
MORE: Kindergartener brings loaded gun to school, mother arrested
BRPD staffing shortage and pay raise plan
At the same time, the system responding to that violence is under strain. In prior coverage, Baton Rouge Police Chief TJ Morse has warned that staffing shortages and repeat offenders are compounding the problem. Officers are often responding to violent scenes after working long hours.
Morse told UWK that his department is more than 150 officers short of its authorized staffing level. Part of the issue is pay, with BRPD salaries lagging behind neighboring departments.
Edwards announced plans earlier this month to give every officer at least a 15 percent pay increase. His proposal would raise base pay from roughly $41,000 to $58,000, which he says would make BRPD the highest paid in the state.
“We rarely do anything big. We Band-Aid everything,” Edwards said. “I was looking under every rock asking, ‘How can I do it?’ These raises give us the ability to retain. It could change the trajectory of our city in a positive way.”
If approved by the Metro Council, the raises would take effect in mid-May and appear in paychecks starting in early June. The mayor says they found the money thanks to 82% of the city-parish’s retired employees switching healthcare programs, saving them millions annually.
Edwards said he is also working with lawmakers to secure funding for new police vehicles and other department needs.
“We’re out-weaponized. Officers in a Dodge Durango are not going to catch a Hellcat. This is going to open the door for us to be much better.”
He added that he is committed to improving pay across other departments as well.
“We’re short-handed everywhere. I have a commitment to do everything I can to take care of everyone, but BRPD had to be first,” Edwards said. “I’m going to find other creative ways to try to bump people’s pay. They will not be bumped at the rate the police were bumped. That’s probably not going to happen. But there could be significant and meaningful pay raises.”
MORE: Mayor Edwards pushes major police pay increase, cites recruitment and retention
MORE: Baton Rouge crime is down, yet chief warns police staffing at a “breaking point”
Another summer task force?
Despite ongoing challenges, city leaders point to progress made last summer. A coordinated effort involving Louisiana State Police, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge Police and state leadership led to 107 arrests, hundreds of guns taken off the street and the disruption of gang activity.
“Teen shootings were dramatically down,” Edwards said. “A lot of that had to do with the task force. I don’t know that I’m going to have that this summer.”
Edwards tells UWK he plans to ask the governor again for a coordinated task force this summer while continuing to expand prevention programs locally.
“There’s going to be an ask,” Edwards said. “I’m going to call the governor and ask again, can we get another task force this summer?”
Even without a task force, Edwards said the city is relying heavily on its Office of Violence Prevention. The office brings together law enforcement, school officials, community outreach workers and others focused on identifying and stopping violence before it happens.
The work includes monitoring potential conflicts, tracking activity tied to disputes, intervening in ongoing feuds and working directly with at-risk youth. The goal is to disrupt violence early before it escalates.
“Their deal is the disruption of possible violent crimes, squashing beefs,” Edwards said. “My people listen to the rap songs that are coming out by local young rappers. They’re listening to phone calls. They’re working in the schools. I’m hoping that’s going to help.”
Efforts like this mirror strategies used in other cities, often referred to as violence interruption models, which focus on prevention rather than reaction.
Edwards said one of the most noticeable changes has been an increase in cooperation from the public. Residents are more willing to share information with law enforcement, something that has historically been a challenge.
“People are talking. People are tired,” he said. “Our law enforcement is getting a lot of intel. We’re not going to end crime, but that is different than making a city safer. Law enforcement is doing everything they can. So much starts in the home. As a governmental body, we can only do so much.”
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