Baton Rouge's Second District police precinct is packing up its Highland Road headquarters for a new home in the historic Masonic building at 200 Third Street downtown. The Metro Council approved a resolution for a 10-year, $500,000 sublease that will let the Baton Rouge Police Department occupy the building's first two floors, a move city officials say has been in the works amid growing concerns about space at the current station.
Why BRPD Is Leaving Highland Road
The Second District headquarters currently sits at 2265 Highland Road, according to theadvocate.com. City officials told the paper the relocation is driven by the department outgrowing that location and by the building's age, not because of any perceived safety problems downtown. The outlet reported that getting the Masonic building ready will take roughly 90 days of planning followed by about four months of construction before officers can move in.
Under the sublease terms, developer Mike Wampold is set to cover up to $750,000 in improvements to the building, including a new HVAC system, the report notes. The Masonic building's third floor will keep its original purpose, continuing to be operated by the St. James Lodge No. 47 Masons even after police move into the floors below.
A Second Downtown Station, and a Possible Festival Command Post
The relocation would actually give BRPD a second downtown presence, since a station already operates on Third Street near the State Capitol building, according to WBRZ. Police Chief T.J. Morse has said plans could also include building a command post at the new location to help manage downtown special events and festivals, per theadvocate.com's reporting. Officials have pointed to that same festival and foot-traffic logic as a reason the move is expected to improve downtown safety, per WBRZ.
Exactly how much of BRPD's workload actually originates downtown remains murky. Morse told theadvocate.com that only about 1% of calls come from the area, while a separate account attributed to the chief put the figure at less than 1%, according to newsbreak.com. That same report notes BRPD reviews crime trends each week to decide where officers and other resources are needed.
Councilwoman Coleman Raises Alarm Over Old South Baton Rouge
Not everyone is on board. Metro Council member Carolyn Coleman has said she would be “adamantly” against the proposal, according to theadvocate.com's earlier report on the plan. Coleman said she opposes moving the precinct because it would create a void in Old South Baton Rouge, and in comments to WBRZ she stressed that safety is her priority throughout the district, emphasizing that downtown growth is critical while also prioritizing safety infrastructure and avoiding what she described as a security vacuum near the LSU corridor.
City officials have pushed back on that concern, telling WBRZ that the amount of patrols and services in the Old South Baton Rouge area will remain the same regardless of where the precinct's offices are based. The proposed downtown site would sit about a mile from the Highland Road location, according to theadvocate.com, a distance Coleman's camp and city officials appear to weigh very differently.
What's Already Downtown
Downtown Baton Rouge isn't without a police footprint today. The existing Fifth District precinct has three officers assigned to it, with five or six additional officers typically working overtime on weekends during peak hours, per newsbreak.com's reporting. Some downtown businesses have also taken matters into their own hands — Violet Nightclub, for instance, pays for two off-duty Baton Rouge police officers to provide security on its own dime, the same report states.
The relocation plan surfaced publicly as the Downtown Development District discussed planned shifts for the city's urban core at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday, where the agenda also covered future management strategies for the Raising Cane's River Center and ongoing demolition projects across downtown. WBRZ reports it will continue following the story as the development plans progress.
