Baton Rouge by the numbers: More crime, but more outdoor activities

A new report that measures the quality of life in East Baton Rouge Parish shows that crime is on the upswing. Twenty-seven percent of people say they were victims of a crime in 2010, up from 25% in 2009, according to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s CityStats report. And the number of people who say they feel safe walking alone in their neighborhood after dark plunged from 42% in 2009 to 33%. While total crimes are up 6.5%, violent crime is relatively unchanged at 3,634 incidents in 2009, the last year statistics are available. Not surprisingly, 72% of residents say they would like to see more police cameras. While crime was up, the numbers of people participating in cultural and outdoor activities was up. Fifty-eight percent of people say they went to a college sporting event in 2010, up from 52% in 2009, while 51% say they went to a Mardi Gras parade, compared with 40% in 2009; and 30% say they went to a Live After Five concert, an increase from 23% in 2009. See the full report here. CityStats is an ongoing BRAF project, which is used to guide millions in nonprofit grants.