As many of you may already know, last week an LSU student was attacked and killed while waiting for the train to pass on Government Street. The members of the Garden District Board were horrified to learn about this crime committed during the early morning of September 16th. The proximity of the crime to the Garden District is troubling, and the sense that this was a “wrong place, wrong time” crime further heightens anxieties in the community. Like everyone, we hope that the perpetrator(s) are caught quickly and brought to justice.
Members of our community are the eyes and ears of BRPD, so if you or your neighbors have any information about this crime, please report it to the police immediately. BRPD encourages anyone who may have witnessed or has evidence (security footage) of this event or any others to contact Detective Justin Becnel (Cell: 225-413-8998; Office: 225-389-3848). Any information can be helpful to ensure the suspects are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Importantly: if you are a victim or witness to any crime, please contact or stay in contact with BRPD.
Additional advice/notes from BRPD:
- Stay vigilant. Most armed robbery suspects target distracted victims.
- High-quality residential surveillance video can be vital in solving a case.
- Vehicle burglars often transition to armed robbers when confronted.
- Cooperate as much as possible with armed suspects. Nothing you own is worth your life or serious injury.
Beyond this, we encourage residents to be proactive in terms of your own safety practices and behaviors. You may ask yourself:
- Are we doing a good job of securing our homes?
- Do we communicate regularly with our neighbors, and are we watching out for one another?
- Are we locking our car doors consistently and not leaving things in plain view to tempt criminals?
- Do we maintain good situational awareness (ie. not glued to our phones) as we move throughout the world?
Currently, about half of our annual membership dues go toward security patrols for the neighborhood. It’s important to keep your membership current and to encourage your neighbors to become members of the GDCA because the more dues paying members we have, the more security efforts we can fund. Stay safe out there!
