BATON ROUGE – School-age members of the newly established Baton Rouge Police Department Youth Advisory Council called for a news conference Wednesday morning to officially introduce the council to the public. The students come from different schools around Baton Rouge with the goal of bridging the gap between young people and law enforcement.
BRPD Police Chief TJ Morse said one of his goals when he started his role early this year, was for both the department and himself to be more connected to the community.
“Our area youth are a huge segment of our population that can always benefit from increased civic engagement in these conversations,” Morse said at the conference. “Now, what was once a vision, has become a welcomed reality.”
Morse introduced members of the new BRPD Youth Advisory Council for the 2024-2025 school year. The council aims to transform the Baton Rouge community through youth-led initiatives and law enforcement partnerships.
“I’m ready for us to engage in those tough conversations that even adults often shy away from,” Morse said. “I’m ready for us to exchange ideas. I’m looking forward to getting input from the experiences of these young people and applying the solutions and insight they share into practice and policy whenever possible.”
Student members of the council spoke on why they became involved with the organization.
“I stand here today willing to give law enforcement a chance because they are willing to give my generation a chance as well,” said Jamiyah Fells, a senior.
She said the council aims not just to “talk the talk, but walk the walk as well.”
Ayani Brown, a sophomore, said that community safety is a priority. “As a city, we should feel safe at home, at school, and in the community–regardless of our ZIP code or our neighborhood.”
Council member Darryl Powell Jr. said the council is making the commitment to “get back on the field” and work toward improving the city for all people and races.
Members of the youth council said they hope they can help be guides and mentors to fellow youth through this program, and also that they can take the things they learn back to their classrooms to reach more young people in the community.
The council will host its first town hall meeting on Thursday.
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