BATON ROUGE -Amid soaring record-setting crime, the Baton Rouge Police Department scheduled a Monday afternoon news conference to discuss the situation.

Mayor Sharon Weston Broome discussed the city-parish using additional funding from the American Rescue Plan for crime prevention and gun violence prevention.

"We must work hand in hand to address the issues that are contributing to crime like the lack of economic opportunity and literacy gaps," Broome said. "We are investing an additional $250,000in American Rescue Plan funding towards youth employment programs that directly address the negative economic impacts of the pandemic on young people and their families."

Chief Murphy Paul said the violence is mainly concentrated to a 9.3 square mile area in the city.

"We are seeing the concentration in low-income communities and communities of color when it comes to these increases," Chief Paul said. 

Paul explained although the annual homicide number is growing, the rate has decreased since the summer. Paul said in July there was a 60 percent increase in homicides and the department added a new commander over the BRPD Violent Crime Unit. 

Chief Paul spoke on the tragic death of a 5-year-old who was killed Friday in a double shooting. The chief cited boy and his uncle were shot because of retaliation but did not explain further.

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