Broome’s Baton Rouge: Murder Capital of USA

Sharon Broome brags about the job she has done as Mayor-President. In the Mayor’s view, Baton Rouge is doing great, but here is the reality about Sharon Broome’s Baton Rouge:

•Murder Capital of America.

The 36 murders in the 1st Quarter of 2024 were the highest in Baton Rouge history and put the city  on track to be Murder Capital of the United States.

•Most Dangerous City in America. 

Considering all crime, not just murder, Baton Rouge was ranked the most dangerous out of 182 cities in the country.

•Fear.

People are living in fear, afraid to walk in their own neighborhoods in the daytime or travel the city at night

•Defund Police.

Now Broome has made defunding the police her No. 1 budget priority for 2025. She said the largest budget cuts will come from police, rather than adding the 100+ police officers that are needed. (Advocate, Nov. 9, 2024)

•Blight.

6,000 to 7,000 blighted or abandoned buildings with no meaningful effort to remove them. This includes scores, perhaps hundreds, of “trap houses” used for drug deals and prostitution.

•Dirty, Poorly Maintained City. 

Trash and debris everywhere and public spaces are not maintained. Trash is not picked up for months or years in North Baton Rouge.

•Third World.

Many areas of the Baton Rouge have the appearance of a poverty-stricken, crime-infested Third World country.

•Homeless, Mentally Ill, and Drug Addicts are on street corners, supermarket and convenience store parking lots, and roaming the streets, often panhandling and menacing people

•Parish Prison, Crumbling and Unsanitary without adequate space to handle the number of criminals and defendants. Persons charged with misdemeanors are simply released, while millions of dollars are paid to other parishes to house inmates from East Baton Rouge Parish. 

•Gridlock on the Streets of Baton Rouge as the city provides no answer for traffic congestion. Long travel times to go even a mile or two in some areas.

•Streets Filled with Potholes caused by poor maintenance. Finally, in the midst of an election, the Mayor is desperately trying to cover it up by overlaying Plank Road, North Foster and a few other streets — all at one time. The congestion from South Baton Rouge now plagues NBR.

•Lack of Economic Opportunity and Jobs as inner city neighborhoods fester with poverty, blight, and lawlessness

•An Epidemic of Closed Stores and vacant office buildings which the city ignores and the public accepts as normal. Even One American Place has gone bankrupt.

•Horrible Clean Up of University Lake has left it an eyesore.

•Population Stagnation with no growth as young people flee EBR for greener pastures

• No Escape Allowed. Fierce Opposition to efforts by citizens to escape the conditions of Baton Rouge, start their own city, and chart a better course (St. George)Rouge Parish.