By james art 
Baton Rouge-less than a month after his term, the newly elected parish mayor of East Baton Rouge is preparing to meet governor Jeff Landry to ask for help in the fight against the escalating problem of parish crime.
Turning to crime was central to Edwards’ campaign, a mission rooted in personal tragedy. As a football coach at Istrum High School, Edwards lost one of his players to piston violence.
Now, as mayor-president, he faces the problem with his head forward.
“I read an article Unfiltered He writes about the shooting of the shovel, which has just happened, and I go through it. I lost one of my children – my players – in the Istrum on January 1 last year, walking along Evangeline Street and he was shot and killed, “Edwards recalled at the Rotary Club in St. George in January.
“I have to read that the young man – one of the young men who fired at the shovel – is the same young man who killed my football player. It makes sense to me. Now I know there is a process. I understand it, well, but our criminal system is broken. In the parish we have a problem with crime. “
Edwards outlined several initiatives aimed at dealing with the issue, emphasizing that crime was no longer isolated in specific areas, but has spread throughout the parish. One of his strategies involves collaboration with Governor Landri to study solutions modeled after Troop Nola, an initiative to fight crime introduced in New Orleans in 2024, which proved to be in force before the Super Bowl.
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“We are planning a meeting with the governor and his staff for some help in other areas. You know they helped in New Orleans. So everything we can do, we assemble it, “he said.
Despite the rapid transition from his victory in the December 7 election to the inauguration on January 5, Edwards has already formed 10 transitional teams, each of which is led by chairman and co -chair. These teams are ready to present their findings and recommendations by mid -March.
One of the key appointments is former Batton Ruzh Police Chief Jeff Ledf, who is now an assistant administrative director and runs the team for the transition of public safety. Leduff meets local law enforcement officers and works long hours to deal with critical challenges, more special the fight of the recruitment and detention department.
“I spoke with our young police academy. There were 13 registered, which is a very low number. I was there the first day. I would have talk to them at 9 o’clock in the morning and they started at 7am when I got there at 9am, they were up to 12. Okay, one had already said, “I’m out right now.” They are eight. We have lost two more ever since.
“So the recruitment and retention of our employees is extremely important. The money drives everything. How will we pay them when it starts at $ 39,000 a year, and you will be asked to do the job? My God, here again we have to have more officers on the street. “
Edwards and Leduf are also exploring ways to re -engage retired officers, especially those who have left because of low morals but still have “gas in the tank”.
“There are many employees who have left the department and are retired, but still have gas in the tank. We talk to them and try to do something right now to return these retired staff to the department. “
However, Edwards acknowledged that police are only one layer of a multilateral crime edition. After arrests are made, the weight is shifted to the District Prosecutor’s Office, which is covered by approximately 22,000 cases and only 55 auxiliary district prosecutors.
“They are insufficiently funded, not located. They don’t have enough people. The young man, who was killed on December 23, is still there is none of the District Prosecutor’s Office appointed in the case two weeks ago. “
In an attempt to turn to crime with violence, Edwards announced plans to increase the awards for farmers of crimes for killings for killings received within 48 hours. He also intends to cooperate with local pastors and churches to develop extracurricular activities for youth, striving to keep them out of the streets.
One controversial topic is the idea of merging a Baton Rouge police department with the sheriff’s office in East Baton Rouge to form a metro department.
“I’m not a big defender to combine both forces. I think it will take a decade or more and would really get involved with the pensions and livelihoods and pensions of people. I am far from cooperation – which do some do – but a possible merger of some units, such as a drug department, a crime department and gangs. We are in talks with this. “
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