Coach Sid gives first "State of the City" address to BR Rotary Club after Detroit trip

quote:

---

One year into his first term, Mayor-President Sid Edwards used his first State of the City address to frame what he sees as early progress and unfinished work on three of East Baton Rouge Parish’s most persistent challenges: crime, blight and homelessness.

---

quote:

---

According to data released during the speech, East Baton Rouge Parish is on pace to record its lowest number of homicides since 2019, and the second-lowest total since 2016. Overall, homicides are down 13%, while citywide crime has dropped 15%.

Edwards did not sugarcoat the numbers. “80 people being murdered in our parish is not good, he said. “But it’s better.”

---

quote:

---

Even as crime trends downward, Baton Rouge continues to face a staffing crisis within its police department. The Baton Rouge Police Department was forced to cancel its January academy class after too few recruits signed up.

One of the primary challenges is pay. A newly hired BRPD officer earns just over $50,000 a year, below the regional average and less than what neighboring law enforcement agencies offer.

---

quote:

---

Edwards noted that demolitions of blighted structures have quadrupled, jumping from 49 in 2024 to 200 in 2025. It’s the largest number known in the parish’s history.

---

quote:

---

Edwards reflected on his years as a coach, describing teams made up of players from different races, religions and backgrounds. He talked about how, despite their differences, they were able to unite by a single goal.

“We weren’t black or white or anything else,” he said. “We were green. One green.” That lesson, he said, shaped how he approaches leadership, even in a political enfironment where consensus is harder to achieve.

---