Baton Rouge, Louisiana
PERSONAL SAFETY
CRIME REPORTS
The Baton Rouge Police Department offers crime reports through their BRPD Crime Incident Maps. This map includes the most accurate, up-to-date crime statistics. Southside is included in District 2.
You can view the map by clicking here.
SOLICITORS
Reports of solicitors have increased on our streets, as have reports of break-ins and burglaries. For the record, solicitation is not a legal activity according to the Baton Rouge Police Department. The BRPD encourages residents to call the police if they are approached by anyone soliciting in the neighborhood. Dial 911 for immediate response or 225-389-3863 (225-389-2000 on weekends) to speak with the police station. Do not hesitate to call! Every report serves to deter crime and helps increase police presence in our neighborhood.
PEDESTRIAN AND ROAD SAFETY
Many Baton Rouge residents use the streets of Southside neighborhoods as they go to work, school or to businesses in our area due to heavy traffic along Stanford Drive, Perkins Road, Lee Drive and other busy streets in our area. In addition, traffic servicing St. Aloysius School, Glasgow Middle School and Liberty High School bring additional traffic at certain times of day.
Speed limits are 25-30 miles per hour in residential street, and increased to 35-40 in larger thoroughfares. If you are concerned about speeding or drivers’ failure to observe stop signs and other safety mechanisms, contact the SSCA Baton Rouge Police by dialing 911 for emergencies or 225-389-3863 (225-389-2000 on weekends) to speak with the police station or [contact the SSCA: link] to discuss options to protect your safety.
If you have been the victim of a crime or need to report parking or nuisance noise violations, dial 911 for emergencies or 225-389-3863 (225-389-2000 on weekends) to speak with the police station. To report city service issues like potholes, blocked drainage or zoning violations call 311 or visit 311.brla.gov to request service/inspection.
Make sure to request and keep a record of your case or report number, and check with the agency or contact the SSCA board if your problem is not resolved.
ISSUES
The Southside Civic Association monitors and participates in discussions about issues that impact our neighborhoods. Below is a list of issues that the SSCA is participating in. If you’d like to learn more about an issue or make sure your voice is heard, contact the SSCA board today.
I-10 WIDENING
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is advancing plans to widen Interstate 10 to four lanes in each direction between the Mississippi River Bridge and the I10-12 interchange.
This proposed project will be partially funded with $360 million through Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle Bonds, also known as GARVEE Bonds, which was announced earlier this year as part of the State’s Transportation Master Plan.
The current plan will impact our neighborhoods, and includes shutting down portions or lanes of the interstate for an unknown period of time. These actions are expected to increase traffic flow on parallel roads including Perkins and Hyacinth. At this time, construction is expected to begin in 2024.
LEE DRIVE WIDENING
East Baton Rouge Parish officials and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development have recommended widening Lee Drive, currently one-lane in each direction, to two lanes in each direction to alleviate traffic on the congested street and ensure access for emergency vehicles.
The SSCA has historically advocated for a three-lane compromise, keeping the street one-lane in each direction and adding a center turn lane to alleviate backups behind turning vehicles. The City-Parish is moving forward with plans to widen the street and has expressed no issues with a proposed layout between the Bayou DuPlantier bridge and Perkins Road through the Southdowns neighborhood that would include three lanes, landscaped medians sheltering crosswalks and dedicated walking and bike lanes. Current plans call for a four-lane road between the bayou and Highland Road.
Plans have not been finalized, and construction is not expected to begin until late 2023.
ROUZAN DEVELOPMENT
The SCCA Board has been monitoring the Rouzan development closely since plans were announced to ensure the project improves the quality of life of all our neighbors and mitigate any negative impacts to our residents. These benefits include efforts to bring a new library to the neighborhood, a walkable/bikeable fresh produce grocery, and more. However, this growth also presents problems like increased traffic and drainage issues.
The SSCA board continues to hold discussions about Rouzan's impacts with developers, local government and third-party experts to ensure our interests are protected as the project moves forward.
For more information on the development, please visit Rouzan's webpage.
DRAINAGE
Aging infrastructure, extreme weather events and continued land development have increased the risk of flooding and other drainage issues among the East Baton Rouge Parish neighborhoods including our own.
Following significant flooding in the area in 2016 and 2021, local government renewed its focus on improving drainage infrastructure. The EBRP government announced in 2021 it would develop a master plan for drainage that will utilize American Rescue Plan money from the federal government to assess and improve the most at-risk and problematic areas of the city. However, there are no annual budgeted funds to clean or maintain drainage systems in our city.
Please keep your street drains and ditches clear of debris, and if you suspect underground drains to be clogged call 311 or visit 311.brla.gov to request service/inspection. Make sure to request and keep a record of your report number, and check with the agency or contact the SSCA board if your problem is not resolved.
City officials have stated flooding impacting our area is larger than just a maintenance problem, it's a capacity problem. The SSCA supports and is following efforts to maintain existing drainage as well as initiatives to introduce new funding to modernize drainage systems in our area.
SAVE OUR WATER
Baton Rouge is blessed with some of the best-tasting tap water in the country, thanks to Southern Hills Aquifer. Some experts think our water supplies could be in danger of being overdrawn, and recommend action be taken to protect this valuable resource. To learn more, visit Save Our Water BR online.
SINGLE FAMILY ZONING
Southdowns and many neighborhoods in Baton Rouge are designated Zone A1 – Single Family under the city’s zoning ordinance. The City-Parish A1 zoning restrictions prohibit more than two persons not related by blood, marriage or legal adoption from residing in a single-family home, or more than four unrelated persons if the owner resides on the premises. Temporary ownership interest in a home provided to one of its tenants is not considered to be good-faith compliance with this ordinance.
The East Baton Rouge Parish Attorney’s office is responsible for enforcing zoning restrictions. If you suspect a home to be in violation zoning regulations, call 311 or visit 311.brla.gov to request investigation.
The Parish Attorney’s office has stated that building a case against occupants of a home in violation of the zoning ordinance requires documented evidence of other violations, like parking or nuisance noise violations, or blight. Be sure to report crime, illegal parking (parking in the street, several cars overnight, or cars blocking the roadways or intersections) and nuisance noise to the police by dialing 911 for emergencies or 225-389-3863 (225-389-2000 on weekends) and blight and other ordinance issues by calling 311 or visiting 311.brla.gov to request inspection.
Make sure to request and keep a record of your case and report numbers, and check with the agency or contact the SSCA board if your problem is not resolved.