Baton Rouge, LA – August 2, 2023 – The East Baton Rouge Gun Violence Collaborative Public Safety Partnership (PSP) released the Second Quarter Report of 2023, highlighting the continuing progress made in reducing gun violence in the East Baton Rouge Parish. The East Baton Rouge Gun Violence Collaborative Public Safety Partnership is composed of all federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in East Baton Rouge, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney's and District Attorney’s Offices, Safe Hopeful Healthy BR, and the mayor-president’s office.
In the second quarter of 2023, these collaborative efforts resulted in an 8.62% decrease in homicides compared to the same period in 2022. The Baton Rouge Police Department and East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office reported a combined total of 53 homicides from January 1 to June 30, 2023. This figure shows a notable improvement compared to 58 homicides in the same period in 2022 and 69 homicides in 2021.
Even more significant is the 22.16% reduction in non-fatal shooting incidents for the same period across both agencies. A total of 144 non-fatal shooting incidents were reported by June 30, 2023, which is a significant decline compared to 185 incidents in 2022 and 174 in 2021.
This downward trend continues the positive momentum from 2022 when East Baton Rouge Parish achieved a 23% reduction in homicides for the entire year compared to 2021. The first quarter of 2023 reported a 35% decrease in homicides compared to the same period in 2022. Although the second quarter of 2023 did not reach the same level of reduction, the overall trend for homicides and non-fatal shootings remains on a downward trajectory.
As of August 1, 2023, YTD statistics for the City of Baton Rouge (not including EBRSO) show a 13.33% decrease in homicides (52 YTD 2023 versus 60 YTD 2022) and 22.7% decrease in non-fatal shooting incidents (143 YTD for 2023 versus 185 YTD for 2022).
To view the full 2023 Q2 report, please visit www.brla.gov/psp.
About the East Baton Rouge Gun Violence Collaborative Public Safety Partnership:
The East Baton Rouge Gun Violence Collaborative Public Safety Partnership is a coalition dedicated to reducing gun violence in East Baton Rouge Parish. It includes all federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in East Baton Rouge, the U.S. Department of Justice, the US Attorney’s and District Attorney’s Offices, Safe Hopeful Healthy BR, and the mayor-president’s office. This partnership represents a unified and strategic approach to address gun violence and improve the quality of life for the citizens of East Baton Rouge Parish. We are dedicated to this multi-agency, multi-disciplinary approach. Partners have been regularly meeting since the Partnership’s establishment in March 2022 to set goals, implement strategies, and strengthen our collaborative efforts. The coordinated approach has had a significant impact on public safety, and we look forward to building on this success in the coming quarters.