BATON ROUGE – City leaders say crime is a major problem in Baton Rouge, but presenting a simple solution isn’t so easy.
State Senator Regina Barrow introduced a bill to implement a crime prevention district in the Glen Oaks Area. The bill breezed through the House Committee.
The Glen Oaks Crime Prevention District would cover the area shown in red above and would add more features to a neighborhood such as increased police presence and cameras with the goal of making the area safer.
But to get more policing, and cameras to capture crime in real-time, people who live in the neighborhood would have to pay more. Right now it’s unclear how much the crime prevention district would cost, but Barrow says it will cost residents no more than $100 a year.
In March, Chris Richard, the President of the Glen Oaks Neighborhood Association, said the district would be affordable. At Thursday’s Glen Oaks community meeting, Richard once again said the monthly cost would not be too steep.
“For the price of a Happy Meal, we will be able to institute different projects for security and beautification projects. You have to spend money if you want to improve the area that you are in,” Richard said.
Barrow and Richard say they have received a lot of positive feedback for this idea.
Residents like Darlene Jackson support the idea.
“I really feel safe and protected with the cameras being there, and I can rest better at night,” Jackson said.
Dorothy Thomas also supports the idea and says she is willing to pay more for a safer neighborhood.
“I’d rather put out a little more money and feel safe than not put any out and be afraid,” Thomas said.
The crime prevention district will be on the ballot for Glen Oaks residents in the upcoming election.
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