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Mayor Edwards unveils proposal to increase BRPD officer pay; EMS also tapped for raises
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BATON ROUGE — Baton Rouge Police officers will receive at least a 15% pay increase under a proposal East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards is sending to the Metro Council for a vote.
"This is a day I've looked forward to since I took office. In fact, it was a prime motivator for why I ran for office," Edwards said Thursday at a news conference at BRPD Headquarters.
If passed by the Metro Council, the pay increase would be the largest in the department's history, the mayor said.
"If we are serious about rebuilding this department, we cannot settle for a cost-of-living raise. We must deliver one that is proportionate to the need, therefore historic," Edwards said.
Under the proposal, base pay would increase from $41,000 to $58,000 annually, an increase of more than 40 percent. Officials said that, by comparison, new police officers in New Orleans make $53,750, while new officers in Lafayette and Shreveport are paid $45,000 and $33,000, respectively.
Non-sworn personnel will also receive at least a 3.5% increase, with BRPD Police Chief TJ Morse receiving a 5.9% pay increase under the new plan.
"This is a bold, long-overdue investment in our police department," Edwards added.
The pay increase will be funded by savings from health insurance reforms, as well as salary and benefit savings from BRPD, Edwards said. It will take effect in the middle of May and be reflected on officers' paychecks in early June.
"For too long, our officers have been asked to do too much with less," the mayor said.
Last year, the mayor and Metro Council had wanted to take money from the library, Council on Aging and pest control programs to help raise police pay.
EBR Assistant Chief Administrative Officer and former BRPD Chief Jeff LeDuff says the renewed calls for increased pay recalled a sign on Airline Highway showing a police officer hanging out of a BRPD cruiser with "blood spewing from his chest."
"And the sign said, 'Would you give your life for $6.46 an hour?'" LeDuff said.
Morse said BRPD is currently over 150 officers short-staffed.
He said that since the summer of 2025, officers have left for opportunities that offered increased pay.
“These officers are not leaving the profession. Instead, they are choosing other law enforcement agencies in the area that offer better compensation,” Morse said.
He said that the department cannot keep up with the current pace and demand for overtime and increased cost for service at its current pay rates.
"Although overall crime, property crime and violent crime have been decreasing for more than a year, our department and its officers have reached a critical point," Chief Morse said. "Our officers cannot continue to do more with less."
Edwards said that if the city is serious about reducing crime, it needs to first address the officer shortage, saying that the city cannot be made safe with fewer officers on the street.
"This plan is about recruitment, retention and enhanced public safety by bringing new officers into the ranks and keeping the experience we already have," the mayor said. "Ultimately, it's about making Baton Rouge safer."
Edwards' proposal is the start of a widespread initiative to increase pay across city-parish agencies, with East Baton Rouge Parish Emergency Medical Services also being eyed for increases, with details being worked out for how these raises would come about. Edwards noted that the Baton Rouge Constable's Office is also a short-staffed and underfunded department.
"We're gonna find a way," Edwards said. "To make Baton Rouge the best it can be, we have to."
EMS Administrator Chris Landry said that he agrees with all the concerns that Morse and Edwards have about public safety pay in the parish. Lanry said that the plan is about "recognizing that public safety is not just about equipment, buildings and budget, but public safety is about the people we serve."
"This is an important day for EBR EMS," Landry said.
Watch the news conference here:
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