Mayor Broome Secures Metro-Council Approval of Crime-Fighting, Homelessness Prevention , Other Community Initiatives
Mayor Broome Secures Metro-Council Approval of Crime-Fighting, Homelessness Prevention, other Community Initiatives
Urges Support for Police Officer Retention, Juvenile Detention Officer Recruitment Incentives
Baton Rouge, LA – February 28, 2024 – Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome praised the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro-Council’s support Wednesday evening for her proposed reallocation of more than $4 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal funding to support crucial community initiatives, including DNA testing to move criminal cases more quickly, law enforcement equipment, violence prevention efforts, emergency rental assistance and homelessness prevention services in Baton Rouge. Mayor Broome also asked council members to approve continuing police officer recruitment and retention pay incentives in March and salary increases needed to recruit more East Baton Rouge Juvenile Detention Center staff.
“In securing this vital funding, we’re not just investing in projects; we’re reaffirming our commitment to the well-being and safety of our community. Each dollar will build a stronger, more resilient Baton Rouge, where every resident feels supported, from our seniors to our youngest citizens,” said Mayor Broome. “By enhancing law enforcement capabilities and addressing critical needs like homelessness prevention and rental assistance, we’re strengthening a city where our people thrive on unity, safety, and compassion.”
Approved by the Metropolitan Council
Speeding up DNA Testing Time for Gun-Related Crimes
· Mayor Broome proposed and received approval from the Council for moving $200,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to the District Attorney’s Office to outsource and expedite additional DNA testing on gun-related cases. Mayor Broome previously provided an additional $200,000 in this year’s budget for the District Attorney to contract out DNA testing stalled in state labs but needed for East Baton Rouge criminal cases to move forward.
Law Enforcement Support
· Police Equipment: Mayor Broome secured approval of $103,000 of federal ARPA funds for Baton Rouge Police Department replacement vehicles. Mayor Broome also secured approval of $600,000 of ARPA funds for public safety equipment for the Baker Police Department.
Violence Prevention
· Community Intervention Programs: Mayor Broome secured approval from the Metro-Council to use $1 million in federal ARPA funds to continue community programs that personally serve justice-involved youth, to operate support services for victims and survivors of violence, fund a school-based intervention and prevention program, and to provide the required record-keeping for data management and evaluation of these programs.
Drainage Improvements
· Stormwater Drain Repairs: Mayor Broome secured approval from the Metro-Council to use $500,000 in federal ARPA funds to continue to repair stormwater drains around East Baton Rouge Parish. This funding will be dedicated to addressing cave-ins and sinkholes through repairing pipes and inlets throughout the stormwater collection system.
Homelessness Prevention
· Homelessness Coordinator Approved: Mayor Broome secured approval from the Metro-Council to contract with Jessica Lewis to serve as the Homelessness Coordinator for City-Parish. Lewis will coordinate and lead homelessness prevention strategy, projects, and initiatives in East Baton Rouge Parish to support the HOME American Rescue Plan program and mission.
· Capital Area Alliance for the Homeless: Mayor Broome secured approval from the Metro-Council to use $200,000 of federal ARPA funding to allow the Capital Area Alliance for the Homeless’ One Stop Day Shelter to remain open. The One Stop is our parish’s only day shelter for unhoused individuals and families.
· Emergency Rental Assistance: Mayor Broome secured approval from the Metro-Council to move $1 million in federal ARPA funding to allow her office’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program to distribute more than $4.5 million in rental assistance. This rental assistance will target preventing homelessness, eviction diversion, and stabilizing housing for families at high risk for violence. Since 2021, the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, under Mayor Broome’s administration, has distributed more than $55 million of assistance to nearly 11,000 households in East Baton Rouge Parish (almost one-third of which households were transitional or homeless).
Introduced to the Metropolitan Council for Approval on March 13, 2024
Continuing Police Officer Retention/Recruitment Incentives
· Mayor Broome urges the Metro-Council to approve allowing the Baton Rouge Police Department to update guidelines around critically needed hiring bonus incentives (offering an additional $10,000 for new officers/$15,000 for lateral officer recruits) to maximize recruitment now in the 2024 year. This recruitment incentive allows BRPD to provide recruits with just over $53,000 during their first year. Newly hired Baton Rouge Police Officers who complete the 2023 Police Academy or 2024 Police Academy and receive a satisfactory review from their supervisor by November 15, 2024, will receive recruitment and retention incentive pay in incremental payments totaling $10,000 for Non-Post-Certified Police Officers and totaling $15,000 for Post-Certified Police Officers. (To be eligible, these officers must be hired by July 27, 2024. Newly hired Police Communications Officer employees (dispatch officers) who complete the initial training and receive a satisfactory review from their supervisor by November 15, 2024, will receive recruitment and retention incentive pay in incremental payments totaling $8,000. These police communication officers must be hired on or after June 17, 2023, but by July 27, 2024, to be eligible.
Juvenile Detention Staff Recruitment Incentive
· Mayor Broome urges the Metro-Council to approve critically needed recruitment incentive pay for staff at the East Baton Rouge Parish Juvenile Detention Center. New staff can be hired at a higher pay level (Step 14), including detention officers, detention supervisors, and food and laundry workers.
These two recruitment incentives were introduced for a public hearing at the Metropolitan Council on March 13, 2024.