U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Louisiana issued the following announcement on Aug. 8.
Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance, the United States Attorney's Office, Middle District of Louisiana, the Baton Rouge Police Department, and many other local, state and federal partners, convened in Baton Rouge, LA to initiate the National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) program. This Justice Department program is a three-year engagement that seeks to leverage department assets in support of a local jurisdiction’s commitment to drive down violent crime.
On June 3, 2019, Attorney General William Barr announced the selection of the Baton Rouge Police Department as one of ten FY 2019 PSP sites where the Justice Department will work collaboratively to provide training and technical assistance in areas such as crime analytics, emerging technology and community engagement.
Since 2017, the Justice Department has directed nearly $14.9 million in customized training and technical assistance to help build crime fighting capacity in PSP sites, including $6.6 million to support the FY 2019 sites through FY 2022. PSP seeks to bring law enforcement stakeholders together to work collaboratively in reducing violent crime attributed to felonious firearm use, drug trafficking and human trafficking.
“Our team is on-site in Baton Rouge to collaborate with local law enforcement officials in their mission to improve public safety and drive down violent crime,” said Jon Adler, Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance. "Through the Public Safety Partnership, we are committed to fulfilling the Attorney General's priority of supporting local law enforcement combat violent gangs, felonious firearms use and drug trafficking," added Adler.
U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin stated, “I am extraordinarily grateful to Attorney General Barr for selecting Baton Rouge as a Public Safety Partnership site and for his willingness to supplement and support our local violent crime efforts with additional resources and training. Along with our state and local partners we will continue our collaboration to combat violent crime in our communities and will work tirelessly to achieve our goal of reducing violent crime in the district.”
Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul stated, "We look forward to our continued partnership with the US Department of Justice. The technical assistance and training our department will receive from DOJ experts will strengthen our ability to address violent crime in the city of Baton Rouge. As an agency, BRPD is committed to using innovative ways to improve public safety in our community."
Since 2017, the Justice Department has worked with more than 30 local jurisdictions under the nationwide PSP program. Many participating cities have already seen dramatic reductions in violent crime. New Orleans ended 2018 with 146 murders, the lowest number of murders since the early 1970s. In Milwaukee, homicides declined in 2018 for a third straight year after hitting a deadly peak in 2015.
Other agencies in attendance at this meeting included the Office of Justice Programs; East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office; East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office; Office of the Mayor-President; U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Marshals Service; United States Secret Service; Internal Revenue Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Louisiana Attorney General’s Office; Louisiana Department of Justice; Louisiana Office of Alcohol Beverage Control; Zachary Police Department; Baker Police Department; and Southern University Police Department.
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