BATON ROUGE - After police saw an alarming trend in the number of interstate shootings in 2024, a local foundation is taking proactive measures to assist with the solution.

The Law Enforcement Criminal Justice Foundation (LECJF), which led the Page-Rice Public Safety Initiative, is now taking its technology to the interstate. According to Chairman Clay Young, two cameras with license plate readers are currently being installed in an undisclosed location on the interstate.

"When we saw that there were these random acts of violence on the interstate, we saw an opportunity to use the Page-Rice public safety initiative to assist," Young said.

To date, Young says more than 100 cameras have been installed across EBR Parish to catch criminals red-handed. Those cameras have been strategically placed in areas with high foot traffic and high crime rates. Similar crime statistics are being used for these interstate cameras, and the numbers are taken directly from law enforcement. While Young wouldn't pinpoint the camera locations to ensure their efficiency, he did say they will be placed in the northern part of EBR Parish.

"We deploy the technology where the data says it's needed. And that's an area where it's needed," Young said.

These cameras do not cost taxpayers money to install, as the LECJF is funded through private donations and grants. There are two types of technology Young is looking into, such as solar-powered or electric. Solar-powered cameras are a little more pricey, he added.

The cameras will be fully functional and connected to BRPD and EBRSO's crime centers by the end of the year. Young says more cameras and technology will be installed around the city next year.