The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office on Thursday announced a new unit aimed specifically at investigating drug dealers, gang members and others involved in violent crime.
According to Sheriff Sid Gautreaux, at least 80% of violent crime in East Baton Rouge Parish is committed by drug dealers and street-level gang members.
Three divisions—Narcotics, Special Community Anti-Crime Team and Gang Intelligence—make up the new Gang Intelligence and Enforcement Unit. The GIE will work closely with other agencies and other units within the sheriff’s office, including the homicide unit.
While other units have previously been established to mitigate gang or group activity, District Attorney Hillar Moore says the GIE is notable because it is a “full-time” unit. This means the new unit will have considerably more resources at its disposal than previous efforts have enjoyed.
“We intend to have real results to show the community in the coming weeks,” Gautreaux says.
So, why does the GIE matter for Baton Rouge business owners?
High rates of violent crime have been shown to have major impacts on economic development. Gun violence costs the American economy billions of dollars every year, and violent crime is significantly associated with both business failure and business relocation.
Violent crime may be especially damaging to small businesses in high-crime areas. A 2021 study on how crime affects businesses found that the perception of crime and the risk of victimization scare off consumers and have the potential to make businesses less profitable.
Mitigating violent crime might also help local businesses attract and retain top talent, as crime rates can be a major factor in an individual’s decision to live in or relocate to a certain area. This may be especially important for East Baton Rouge Parish, which has seen three consecutive years of population decline.
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