Coalition Partner Update #1

Overview

Official Partner Communication will be sent bi-monthly starting today.

As SafeBR moves forward and builds a larger coalition, we’ll begin to communicate progress around each respective pillar and communicate ways for you to be involved in the effort. We hope you share information in these communications with your family, friends, colleagues, and others.

Additionally, the coalition will be planning SafeBR-specific events and larger reports demonstrating the impact of our effort on a quarterly basis.

Thank you!

Launch

On February 15th, over 100 of our local leaders in government, private business, law enforcement, and nonprofit sectors came together to form SafeBR, a collaborative focused on helping our community address violent crime in Baton Rouge. This coalition will demonstrate a commitment to allocating and raising resources to address the root causes of violent crime starting now!

“'Is a community safe?’ is often in the top question someone asks themselves before they move to a new place”
If we want to attract new residents to Baton Rouge and retain our current residents, then we must provide a safe environment for our community. Business engagement is crucial for SafeBR to achieve its goals. We need businesses to support financially, stay informed, and be a positive voice for solutions'“
-Russell Mosely, Founder and Developer of Long Farm Village. 

Building Partnership & Coalition

SafeBR continues to build a group of partners who will serve as leading voices for the initiative. So far, over 200 organizations and individuals have formally committed to joining the collaborative effort. A list of partners can be found at safebr.org/join. Please consider forwarding the link to interested organizations and individuals who might be interested in supporting the coalition.

“It seems every day our newspapers and social media are flooded with reports of violent crime in our community, but that doesn’t have to be our reality. Violent crime affects everyone - families, students, businesses, and communities- and that’s why it will take a unified approach to reduce crime. When we have business, government, law enforcement, and nonprofits all at the table together, invested in the same priorities, and committed to a safer Baton Rouge, our impact will be amplified.”
-Helena Cunningham, National Housing Consulting Services CEO. 

You can specifically support this coalition and its goals TODAY by:

Raising and/or donating funds in support of critical immediate and longer-term safety initiatives, supporting new initiatives, and existing programs or nonprofits effectively addressing violence intervention.

Supporting public leaders exploring and endorsing evidence-based transformation efforts.

Lend a solutions-oriented voice helping address the challenges of violent crime.

Core Pillar Updates

As a reminder, SafeBR will spark immediate action while building long-term solutions to support community safety, focusing on solutions that drive the three pillars of SafeBR:

Pillar 1 New resources for law enforcement to enhance new and existing strategies proven effective in stopping violent crime as well as individual assistance for first responders injured in the line of duty.
Pillar 2 Community investment in evidence-based strategies to disrupt the cycle of crime and violence.
Pillar 3 Accountability and transparency for the entire system of justice and our collective investments

On March 1st, Law Enforcement leaders, public officials, media, businesses, and organizations in support of the Page-Rice Camera Initiative gathered this morning at the Triple S Food Mart, where a high-tech camera was recently installed, to hear updates on the Initiative’s progress since it launched in 2022 and to better understand how these cameras will support efforts to reduce violent crime in our city and parish.

To date, over 50 cameras have been purchased and are being placed in multiple Metro Council districts thanks to over $200,000 in funds raised in support of this effort! The Baton Rouge Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice Foundation would like to thank our initial sponsors like Exxon Mobil; LaCapitol Federal Credit Union; and McDonald’s in this effort and look forward to working with many more in the future.

The initiative is working with the Baton Rouge Police Department, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s office and the ATF to identify the top crime hot spots and the businesses nearest those intersections to donate cameras to those worst, most urgent locations.

“The Page/Rice Camera initiative is becoming a great tool for law enforcement. This is a community led effort that is only growing by the day”
-Clay Young  (Owner of Clay Young Companies and Chairman of The Baton Rouge Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice Foundation)

Proven to reduce violent crime, any business can opt-in to purchase a camera for its property, or it can donate funds for other businesses in high-crime areas to be gifted with the technology. The Baton Rouge Law Enforcement $ Criminal Justice Foundation is accepting requests to be considered to receive a camera at no cost through its grant program and collecting donations for additional community cameras at brcollab.com/pagerice.

The installation cost for a camera through the initiative is $2,600, and the proceeds will go towards funding additional cameras in high-crime areas. The cost to host a crime camera varies depending on the geographical location and historical crime trends. After the initial installation, average operating costs are estimated to be around $500 annually and camera recipients must provide electricity and internet connection.

Fundraising & Support

SafeBR announced its plan to support a 3-year strategy to support and build resources of $65M toward the 3 Pillars of focus – $50M in public funding and $15M in private investment. To date, we have identified $7M for SafeBR and urge supporters to contact us to make a pledge or go online to safebr.org/support to contribute.

In the coming months, we look forward to sharing opportunities to engage, support initiatives, get data, and much more. Thank you for your continued support!

SafeBR is a coalition of aligned public, private, and non-profit organizations dedicated to making Baton Rouge a safer community. SafeBR updates, crime statistics, funding priorities, and a comprehensive list of leaders in support of SafeBR can be viewed by the public at safebr.org.