Posts Tagged ‘police’

Yesterday I was at LSU in Free Speech Alley when suddenly several sirens started in relative close proximity. There was also a helicopter in the air that seemed to be circling around the quad. This lasted for several minutes, and then suddenly everything was normal again. I’ve checked the crime logs, police reports, news, events, bulletins and have asked everyone I could—I exhausted all of our resources and contacts to figure out what happened yesterday, but to no avail. It could be a simple training exercise for the LSUPD, but I’d assume that’d be publicly available information.

If you have heard anything or saw anything, please hit us up on the tip line. I’d like to know what happened.

Might have heard around town about these dudes selling DVDs of themselves shooting guns and stuff. I hear a director’s cut is on its way with new deleted scenes. (okay that last part was a joke. )

The Baton Rouge Police Department has been busy lately. Here’s just a few highlights from their recent work.

• Some officers uncovered a whopping 47 pounds of pot during a routine traffic stop. We covered this in the past, so read more about that here.
• They’re getting a helicopter. They used some stimulus money. It should help with high-speed chases. We covered this a few weeks ago, so check out that article here.
• The BRPD Swat Team took home the state title in the Louisiana Tactical Police Officer’s Assiociation SWAT competition last week. They’ve won it three years in a row now. We also have the best sniper and overall officer. For more accolades, read the brief.
• A pregnant women mysteriously disappeared from Baton Rouge on Tuesday. She was recovered on Saturday unharmed and well.

I don’t know about you guys, but these officers make me feel safe. Good job, BRPD—you have our support.

The Metro Council approved the purchase of a Robinson R44 police helicopter for the Baton Rouge Police Department. The total purchase price is $946,000, which will come fully from federal stimulus money. Capt. Roger Tully of the BRPD said they will use the helicopter for around 1,000 hours/year, which will cost the department an additional $62,200 per year. It’s important to note that this fulfills one of Mayor Kip Holden’s campaign promises from 2004. At the Council hearing he noted that we’re the largest parish without such a helicopter. The helicopter is fully equipped and approved by the FAA for police work.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has the brief. You can see the configuration of the helicopter here. The minutes from the Council meeting can be found here.

I just have to say, holy crap. I think helicopters are like the coolest thing ever. I’ve never ridden in one, but I’ve always wanted to. Plus, I think this’ll really help with crime fighting, which is a great thing. Reminds me of the US Army helicopter that landed on the LSU parade grounds the other day.