The Baton Rouge Police Department’s new downtown digs in the basement of the Governmental Building on St. Louis Street are nearly complete. However, officers won’t move into the new space until some time this fall, after the current academy class graduates.
BRPD Chief Carl Dabadie announced early this year the department would expand its downtown presence by creating a new downtown district, which will be located in space previously occupied by the Clerk of Court.
Though finishing touches are going on the newly renovated space, the department won’t have enough officers to fully staff the office until after the current academy class—which had its first day of training on Monday—graduates in late September.
“We may start moving some things into the office over the summer but we won’t officially open until October,” says Lt. Johnny Dunnam, a BRPD spokesperson.
Once the office is open, it will be staffed with 16 full-time officers. The BRPD will also keep open its Third Street satellite office, which currently is serving as the official downtown precinct. That office has 11 officers and is open 24 hours a day. Once the new office opens, Third Street will cut back its hours, closing at 3 a.m., and revert back to being a bicycle patrol office with a handful of officers.
—Stephanie Riegel
