BATON ROUGE — Violent crime in Baton Rouge and other Louisiana cities has dropped sharply over the past two years, but Gov. Jeff Landry says the state’s criminal justice system still has a weak link: judges who release repeat offenders back onto the streets.
Landry, speaking in an exclusive interview with UWK & Louisiana Unfiltered, said he believes the weak link in the state, particularly in the Capital City, is the judiciary.
Violent Crime Down but Repeat Offenders Persist
“I think you’ve got a judge problem here in (Baton Rouge),” Landry said. “You can have the best police force in the world, but if they’re arresting people and judges are letting them out … then the system doesn’t work.”
His comments come as the Baton Rouge Police Department reports an 8% decline in violent crime so far in 2025, with homicides down nearly 18%, according to data UWK first reported last month. Yet Chief T.J. Morse has warned of a spike in juvenile violence and repeat offenders, saying his officers are often “arresting the same person for three different shootings in a single year.”
IN-DEPTH | ‘We have a bullet problem in Baton Rouge’
IN-DEPTH | Baton Rouge crime is down, yet chief warns police staffing at a “breaking point”
Landry Calls for More Resources for DAs
Landry said he believes the fix is multi-layered and will partly fall on legislators.
“I think that the district attorney’s office needs some more resources. We’re looking at the way that warrants are issued and allocated around the state so that DAs with heavy caseloads are getting the resources that they need.
“We know that the criminal court funding is not as adequate as it should be. I mean, look, in all honesty, we support our criminal justice court system in the state on traffic tickets, and then we wonder why our insurance rates are that high.”
IN-DEPTH | ‘It’s a sh**hole’: Task force tours “unsafe” East Baton Rouge juvenile detention center
Judicial Commission Faces Test
Landry pointed to recent changes at the Judicial Commission and “unprecedented” suspensions by the Louisiana Supreme Court as evidence the state is starting to hold judges accountable. The Commission operates under the umbrella of the Louisiana Supreme Court and investigates complaints of judicial misconduct, disciplining judges when necessary. It can also recommend penalties or other remedial action when judges violate rules.
Last year, voters passed an amendment expanding the Judiciary Commission from nine to 14 members. The members are appointed by the governor and state lawmakers. That amendment also allows the Supreme Court to direct the Commission to initiate investigations rather than wait for complaints to be filed.
“Let’s give the new commission some opportunity to get their legs underneath them,” he added, pointing to several high-profile rulings of what he believes shows judge accountability. Among those were rulings against Baton Rouge 19th Judicial District Judge Eboni Johnson Rose, who was suspended by the Supreme Court last year for six months after UWK published several reports about her handling of criminal cases. Among the allegations: serious errors in criminal procedure in several cases, destruction of polling slips in a trial, possibly mishandling or vacating convictions improperly.
IN-DEPTH | Voters to choose path forward as Baton Rouge faces $50M debt — Here’s what that could look like
“In the last session, we actually revamped the judicial commission and then appointed some people that we felt were going to finally take a stand and take a deep look, and we’ve seen the Supreme Court do some unprecedented things.”
National Guard Proposal
The governor’s comments on crime come as the Trump administration is reportedly weighing a proposal to activate 1,000 Louisiana National Guard troops for a law-enforcement mission focused on the state’s “urban centers,” including New Orleans and Baton Rouge, according to Pentagon planning documents obtained by The Washington Post.
MORE: Trump Administration considers deploying 1,000 National Guard troops to Louisiana cities
It follows a move by the White House in August to mobilize 2,000 National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. Louisiana contributed troops to that initiative.
The draft plan, still unsigned and undated, would allow the Guard to supplement local police departments if Landry formally requests the federal support. It’s something Landry has not ruled out.
“What the National Guard does is it creates a force multiplier. It puts more boots on the ground. I think that what the President is doing is highlighting the need for more action in some of our most deadly cities around the country. I mean, everyone knows that we have been facing a crime wave, a violent crime wave, an epidemic that has swept throughout vast portions of America. And so I welcome any federal resources that they want to bring,” the governor said.
The governor credited the summer’s “Operation Violent Crime Crackdown” in Baton Rouge, which involved the FBI, ATF, DEA, state police and local agencies, with helping drive down shootings and homicides.
“We started to see the ability for us to affect violent crime through getting some of those bad gang members off of the street. It’s something that we want to do more of. That doesn’t happen without the support of a president of the United States and his cabinet. Having the U.S. Department of Justice at the table with you as you’re planning these out makes a big difference.”
IN-DEPTH | Baton Rouge crime crackdown ‘just the beginning’ after 100+ arrests targeted gangs
Homelessness and Crime
Landry also pointed to rising homeless populations in cities across Louisiana as contributors to crime. He believes a Guard mobilization would allow more resources to tackle the problem head-on.
“It’s something that needs to be addressed, because I think that (majority) of the homeless population is really a group of mentally unstable people that need some institutional care. I think they can probably be helped. Another 10% are, quite frankly, a bunch of criminals that use the homeless population to basically camouflage or to carry out their illegal drug activity, their human trafficking. They prey on those people. And it really is inhumane, and it doesn’t do us any good to have people out there.”
“There is still a small group that we addressed in New Orleans leading up to the Super Bowl, but we spent a tremendous amount of money, and six months later we’re starting to see those encampments creep up again, which says that, ‘Hey, maybe we didn’t do as good a job as we needed to in getting those people where they need to be.’ And the question is, are those programs really available, or do we have to rebuild those things?”
With violent crime declining but concerns about repeat offenders and homelessness rising, Landry says Louisiana stands at a crossroads. Whether through added judicial oversight, increased resources for prosecutors, or new federal partnerships, he argues the state must “fix the weak links” now to sustain progress and make communities safer for the long term.
Download the Unfiltered with Kiran app from the Apple App Store and Google Play to stay updated on the latest news across the Capital area.
Support UWK and its mission to deliver The News You Deserve. Unfiltered. Become a monthly patron on Patreon today!
