BATON ROUGE - Mayor Sid Edwards is looking to the federal government for help to form a task force of federal law enforcement to help fight crime in Baton Rouge in response to last week's mass shooting at the Mall of Louisiana.

A spokesperson for the mayor's office says they are not requesting the National Guard, but a task force made up of the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

"We're asking for any and all help we can get to help us protect the citizens of Baton Rouge, eradicate gangs, and any other nefarious people we have in this city," Edwards said in a press conference, just a day after the mall shooting.

State Senator and Congressional candidate Rick Edmonds is also calling on the federal government to help support efforts in the city of Baton Rouge.

"We've done some similar things in New Orleans. We expanded some coverage. We put in some additional troopers," Edmonds said.

In 2024, Governor Jeff Landry and state police created Troop NOLA, a special department within the Louisiana State Police that specifically works to enhance public safety in the city of New Orleans. According to LSP, Troop NOLA made 500 arrests and recovered more than 50 stolen vehicles in its first year.

"We have changed some of the climate in New Orleans, and I think we are happy that we see some results there. Here we are in Baton Rouge, a wonderful city, our families are demanding that we do something to make certain that our children are safe," Edmonds said.

Within the last year or so, a half a dozen similar initiatives were created to address an increase in violent crime in several states. In September, the city of Memphis launched its Memphis Safe Task Force, a multi-agency effort that includes the National Guard, highway patrol officers, and over 13 federal agencies that work to end street and violent crime across the city. According to the U.S. Marshals Office, over 4,000 arrests were made within the first three months of the effort.

While Edmonds says he cannot say what exactly the governor plans to do. He says one of the first steps is getting more deputies and officers.

"We know that we are short. I know that in the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, that we're short some officers. We need good men and women to serve this community like many of the ones we have," he said.

We reached out to the governor's office and the BRPD for more details on what federal support could look like in Baton Rouge, but we have not heard back yet.