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East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office proposes to put substation in Glen Oaks on Greenwell Street
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BATON ROUGE - The Metro Council is working with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office to open a new substation on Greenwell Street in Glen Oaks.
The plan was introduced to the council Wednesday evening by District Five Councilman Darryl Hurst.
"When crime shifts consistently, we need to make sure we are doing the same thing," Hurst said.
Hurst says Glen Oaks receives more calls for service than Scotlandville, which is the current substation that serves District Five, alongside the Baton Rouge Police Department.
"Seeing a number of cars, and having a faster response time will hopefully let those bad actors know that we're here and we're here to stay," Hurst said.
Hurst says the mayor's office and parish attorney have already allotted $400,000 for the project.
The plan is to purchase a vacant building on Greenwell Street for $207,000 if approved by the Metro Council and signed by the mayor.
"We're taking an existing building, which was the old Savoie's Sausage Station, turning it into a substation that's already in an area where some of the highest crime in the city is and saving lives. And I always ask people what value can you put on a life," Hurst said.
Hurst says he believes having a substation in a crime-ridden area can essentially help decrease the crime rates because of an increased police presence.
"We hope they'll understand that we always talk about adding more money to the police force [and that] sometimes it's not about more police, it's putting them in a position to respond faster and in a more strategic way," Hurst said.
He also says lives can even be saved because of faster response times.
"We want to make sure that the response time, the presence, the ability to mitigate. That one minute could save a life," Hurst said.
If approved, the office will have seven substations and one traffic division. The plan will be voted on June 24.
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