BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Following a number of back-to-back shootings in Baton Rouge, police share safety tips as we head into a hot and busy Memorial Day weekend.
Over the last several days, Baton Rouge saw five fatal shootings with nearly ten crime scenes and counting. Law enforcement officials said crime tends to spike even more during a holiday.
The Baton Rouge Police Department (BRPD) said they’re putting more officers and patrol units on the streets this weekend with the hopes of keeping the violence down.
When asked what could be a contributing factor to the rise in shootings, Sgt. Darren Ahmed said they’re still working to find a direct correlation.
“These high crime areas, we’re sending detectives and officers in there proactive as much as we can, but unless we have people from the community become transparent with us, it’s hard for us to do our job. When people don’t want to talk with law enforcement when we’re trying to solve a case in the community they live in,” said Ahmed.
One thing the department asked is that parents keep an eye on their kids this weekend and know where they are to keep them safe and out of trouble.
“If we can start in that home, that is where it all starts. So, parents, please, please pay more attention to your children,” said Ahmed.
With many families traveling around the area, BRPD tells citizens not to drink and drive. Instead, they recommend using a designated driver or use a ride-share service. There could be random sobriety checkpoints in the area.
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