BATON ROUGE, LA — August 16, 2022 — This week Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome, alongside the Democratic Mayors Association and Democratic mayors across the country, are participating in Mayors Stopping Crime: A Week of Action. This nationwide effort includes mayors from big cities and small towns alike taking action against rising crime and gun violence to make their communities safer. 

“My stance has always, and will continue to be that violence has no place in Baton Rouge,” said Mayor Broome. “We’ve been doing this work for some time in Baton Rouge and will keep up the fight for as long as it takes. Together, our community, law enforcement, and business leaders are addressing crime and the underlying causes of violence in our community. I’m proud to stand with other Mayors this week to bring awareness to our fight back against crime.”

Mayor Broome’s three-pronged approach to public safety includes:

• Law Enforcement 
• Community Engagement 
• Mental Health 

In the past two years, Mayor Broome has secured a 13% pay increase for sworn officers. She also secured more than $11 millions of dollars of American Rescue Funds this month for community violence intervention; Baton Rouge Police Department, including funds for recruitment, retention and equipment; funding for DNA analysis on backlogged gun cases; and employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated persons, meant to decrease recidivism. These efforts have resulted in more than 2,600 felony arrests and the seizure of 1,100 guns this year by the Baton Rouge Police Department.

Additionally, this summer Mayor Broome’s office led an intensive community engagement initiative with the Summer of Hope. Dozens of events were held in neighborhoods with the highest rates of gun violence. Thousands of residents were engaged as the community worked to restore hope and joy to their neighborhoods, while having serious conversations about the resources needed to help traumatized families and communities rebuild and stop cycles of violence. This intensive work will continue to connect with the individuals most likely to become either victims or perpetrators of violence.

As part of this week’s Mayors Stopping Crime nationwide initiative, Mayor Broome and partner organizations are hosting several community-focused events to restore hope, encourage unity, and increase collaboration to address the root causes of violence while improving community health, wellness, and safety. Anyone interested in joining this work is encouraged to participate in Wednesday’s Community-Based Public Safety Ecosystem Convening.

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Community-Based Public Safety Ecosystem Convening
5-7:30 p.m.
River Center Branch Library, 250 North Blvd.
Presented by Mayor’s Office- Safe Hopeful Healthy BR

Thursday, August 18, 2022

The Night Shift Business Workshop Series
6:15 p.m.-8 p.m.
Louisiana Tech Park, 7117 Florida Blvd.
Presented by Baton Rouge Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce

Friday, August 19, 2022

SULC Expungement Initiative Event
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Greater King David Multicultural Center, 222 Blount Road
Presented by Southern University Law Center, Mayor’s Office

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Gas for Guns
9 a.m.-noon
Capital Missionary Baptist Church, 5565 Hooper Road, Baton Rouge
Presented by TRUCE, Mayor’s Office, Sheriff's Office, BRPD

Heal the Block
4:30-7:30 p.m.
3773 Plank Road
Presented by Baton Rouge Community Street Team, Mayor’s Office-Summer of Hope

Other participating mayors include Levar Stoney of Richmond, VA; Sylvester Turner of Houston, TX; Melvin Carter of St. Paul, MN; Justin Bibb of Cleveland, OH; Regina Romero of Tucson, AZ; Quinton Lucas of Kansas City, MO; Lori Lightfoot of Chicago, IL; Jack Bradley of Lorain, OH; Libby Schaaf of Oakland, CA; Jane Castor of Tampa, FL; Todd Gloria of San Diego, CA; Caroline Simmons of Stamford, CT; Aftab Pureval of Cincinnati, OH; Steve Adler of Austin, TX; Satya Rhodes-Conway of Madison, WI; Ron Nirenberg of San Antonio, TX; Steven Reed of Montgomery, AL; Kate Gallego of Phoenix, AZ; Joyce Craig of Manchester, NH; John Ernst of Brookhaven, GA; Erin Mendenhall of Salt Lake City, UT; Jeffrey Mims, Jr. of Dayton, OH; Kathy Sheehan of Albany, NY; Mary-Ann Baldwin of Raleigh, NC; and more.