SafeBR Coalition Announced
Baton Rouge coalition moves to bring collaborative, evidence-based solutions to violent crime
Government, private business, law enforcement, and nonprofit leadership join forces to create SafeBR, an initiative to create a united response to improving safety and strengthening our city.
BATON ROUGE, LA (February 15, 2023) – Over 160 local leaders in government, private business, law enforcement, and nonprofit sectors have come together to form SafeBR, a collaborative focused on helping our community address violent crime in Baton Rouge. This coalition will demonstrate a commitment to raising resources to address the root causes of violent crime.
SafeBR seeks to spark immediate action while building long-term solutions to support community safety, focusing on solutions that drive the three pillars of SafeBR:
1. New resources for law enforcement to enhance existing, and new, strategies proven effective in stopping violent crime as well as individual assistance for first responders injured in the line of duty.
2. Community investment in evidence-based strategies to disrupt the cycle of crime anD violence.
3. Accountability and transparency for the entire system of justice and our collective investments.
“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
SafeBR’s goals will create a system of accountability and key performance indicators focused on the following objectives:
Unify government, business, nonprofit, and others.
Outline a plan with a multifaceted approach to various initiatives that promote community safety in the short and long term (including support of national crime expertise reviewing overall strategies for the prevention of crime).
Announce immediate short-term actions combined with long-term commitments.
Develop clear financial giving opportunities through a single website/portal, highlighting general and specific efforts where donors can direct their giving.
Establish and maintain a website for tracking initiatives, providing updates on issues, outlining the response plan from police, sheriff, district attorney, and others, and analysis of crime data trends.
Provide regular briefings to update partners and the broader community on statistics and progress.
“The SafeBR Coalition and the Page Rice Camera initiative are important to me because there are too many cases that are going unsolved and too many people who are still enjoying their lives and freedom who shouldn’t be. I feel very confident that if there would have been
cameras at the sites of Devin and Allie’s murders that either those incidents would have been prevented or the cases would be solved by now.”
-Paul Rice, father of Allison Rice
SafeBR is building a group of partners who will serve as leading voices for the initiative. So far over 100 organizations and individuals have formally committed to date, with new partners joining the collaborative effort every day. A list of partners can be found at safebr.org They will specifically support this coalition and its goals by:
Raising 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.
“'Is a community safe?' is often 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
A list of SafeBR partners and initiatives can be found at www.safebr.org. Organizations interested in joining the initiative may do so at safebr.org /join.