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Together Baton Rouge wants political change after Alton Sterling shooting
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BATON ROUGE- A prominent grass-roots organization wants law enforcement and economic reforms in response to the Alton Sterling shooting. Together Baton Rouge held a lunch in Mid-City Tuesday with over 300 faith and civic leaders in attendance.
"We have a faulty foundation, we have problematic foundation, we have an outdated foundation, and we will not solve our problems unless we change our foundation," said a pastor at the event.
After meeting in small groups, leaders compiled the fears and hopes expressed by the participants into a list of political demands. Top of that list, community policing.
Together Baton Rouge wants police officers to integrate into the neighborhoods they patrol. The idea is for cops to establish friendly lines of communication with the public so there will be less hostile confrontations when police enforce the law.
The organization also wants poverty to be addressed, they see it as a key factor for crime rates and police activity in certain areas of the community.
Finally they want economic opportunities for residents in the city.
Alton Sterling sold CD's and DVD's outside the Triple S convenience store on North Foster Drive. As a peddler, his business was not exactly legal.
Together Baton Rouge wants job opportunities for all residents so they don't have to resort dangerous means of making money.
A spokesperson for Together Baton Rouge said a complete platform will be shaped over the next few months. The groups will then press candidates for local political offices to commit to the platform.
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