(The Center Square) – Baton Rouge will receive nearly $64 million in federal funding to expand law enforcement operations over the next three years, a major investment aimed at reducing violent crime through additional officers, specialized prosecution units and new technology.

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the award Wednesday during a news conference attended by Gov. Jeff Landry, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards.

Baton Rouge was one of four cities selected for the funding from a pool of 50 applicants, Blanche said. The money will support increased police staffing, investigative resources, violent crime units and coordinated enforcement operations involving local, state and federal agencies.

Specific spending plans have not been finalized, although Edwards said operational planning would begin immediately, with implementation expected in early January.

“More law enforcement officers will be on the beat here in Baton Rouge, and they’ll be working with better equipment, better technology and better information,” Blanche said.

The investment comes as state and local officials seek to sustain recent efforts to combat violent crime in Louisiana’s capital.

Blanche cited police data showing that Baton Rouge officers responded to more than 1,300 nonfatal shootings, 12,000 reports of shots fired and 1,200 armed robberies between 2021 and 2025.

Edwards described the grant as a long-term investment rather than a temporary infusion of federal money.

“Government grants are often seen as giveaways,” Edwards said. “This is not a giveaway, it’s an investment.”

He said the Justice Department selected Baton Rouge because of the city’s existing efforts to strengthen public safety, predicting that the three-year grant would produce decades of improvements.

“We plan a tenfold return on investment,” Edwards said. “This three-year grant will yield 30 years of transformational change for Baton Rouge.”

Landry pointed to the toll of gun violence in East Baton Rouge Parish, saying more than 1,100 people had been killed in shootings over roughly the past decade. He said about 90% of the victims were Black.

The governor also highlighted Operation Redstick, a coordinated enforcement initiative involving local, state and federal agencies, as a model for future efforts.

According to Landry, the operation resulted in 185 felony arrests, the apprehension of 100 fugitives and the seizure of 45 firearms, including 11 reported stolen. Authorities also recovered 12 stolen vehicles.

Landry used the announcement to criticize New Orleans officials for declining to seek the federal funding.

“The city of New Orleans made an intentional decision not to apply,” Landry said. “They chose instead to play politics with safety.”

He contrasted that decision with Baton Rouge’s participation, saying local leaders had prioritized public safety.

Officials also emphasized the impact of violence on children, citing the recent shooting death of 13-year-old Maddie Harris and other young victims killed in the parish.

The federal award will provide Baton Rouge with additional resources to expand enforcement efforts, but local officials have yet to disclose how the nearly $64 million will be divided among personnel, equipment, investigations and prosecution initiatives.