Louisiana has high murder rate compared to rest of US, data shows

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Data shows that Louisiana has almost three times more murder crimes compared to the national average. An interactive map using FBI crime data shows the rate of crime in each U.S. state for different types of crime, including property crime, theft, violent crime and murder. In Louisiana, murder crimes are 2.8 times more than the national average. Baton Rouge ranks high for two types of crime — murder and burglary. According to data, the city has almost six times more murder crimes and four times more burglary crimes compared to the national average. The East Baton Rouge Coroner’s website reported 106 homicides in 2023, down from 135 in 2022. City leaders are pushing for initiatives to reduce crime in Baton Rouge. The Metro Council approved $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding moving to the district attorney’s office to speed up DNA testing on gun-related cases on Feb. 28. In the same February meeting, council members approved $1 million in federal mo...