BATON ROUGE, LA — June 4, 2019 — Today, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome announced that the City of Baton Rouge has been dismissed from the December 9, 1980, federal consent decree concerning the hiring and selection practices of the Baton Rouge police and fire departments. The order, signed by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, acknowledges that the departments’ practices are now in substantial compliance with federal law and that they have made significant progress in their selection process for hiring and promoting practices.

“This is welcomed news for our fire and police departments and for the City of Baton Rouge. My administration has worked hard to promote inclusive hiring practices that have helped us meet workforce demands,” said Mayor Broome. “Chiefs Smith and Paul have worked tirelessly to create departments that more closely reflect the diversity of our great city, and I applaud them for this tremendous achievement.”

“Our goal is to always provide Class One service to our residents,” said Baton Rouge Fire Chief Edwin Smith. “Inclusive recruiting practices are essential to meeting our workforce needs.”

"We are pleased the Federal Government recognizes the progress made by our department,” said Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul. “We are committed to making sure our recruitment and hiring procedures are in alignment with best practices.”

The order signed on June 3, 2019 by Federal Judge Lance Africk can be viewed here.