FY23 Page/Rice Camera Initiative

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana (USAO) has selected the Baton Rouge Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Foundation (Foundation) to be the fiscal agent for the jurisdiction’s Project Safe Neighborhood funding. In partnership with Envisage Research and Analytics (ERA) and Project NOLA, the FY2023 PSN strategy will focus on enhancing the USAO’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Strike Force in Baton Rouge through the expansion of a public-private community camera share program that began in 2022.

Goal #1: To expand the technological infrastructure in East Baton Rouge Parish through the installation and monitoring of strategically placed crime cameras in high crime neighborhoods.

Goal #2: To use technology, intelligence, and data in innovative ways that enable law enforcement to focus resources on the people and places associated with high concentrations of criminal behavior and crime.

Project partners will deploy a media campaign to inform the public of the award and ask community members in select high crime neighborhoods to fill out an online form if they are open to hosting a crime camera. Up to 38 locations will be selected for a grant funded camera subscription. Local law enforcement partners will make final determinations for which locations are selected. As requests are submitted, law enforcement officials will confirm the locations are in identified high crime neighborhoods and contact community members to schedule a site assessment. Sites assessments will include meeting community members to review eligibility requirements and ensure the location has an adequate place to mount a crime camera.

Given the proposed locations, community members are likely to be those who would like to participate in the City’s camera share program but do not have a security system and cannot afford to purchase one; as such, interested community members and business owners will only be required to ensure the camera has continuous power and internet to participate.

Anticipated outcomes include enhanced collaboration between law enforcement and community members, increased utilization of data-driven technology, enhanced situational awareness, and reductions case clearance time for incidents at or near where cameras are located.