BATON ROUGE — Local leaders have launched a new initiative pairing youth flag football with a strengthened public safety partnership across East Baton Rouge Parish, following 14 juvenile homicides in the parish this year.

The announcement was made at a press conference at the Inspiration Center at Howell Park, where the Louisiana Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Foundation joined BREC, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, National Police Athletic League and NFL FLAG to relaunch the Police Athletic League of South Louisiana.

"Everything we do at the LECJF comes back to collaboration and partnership," said Clay Young, chairman of the LECJF Board of Directors. "Today is a perfect example of that — law enforcement, recreation, health care and youth-serving organizations coming together at the Inspiration Center to invest in our kids and in the long-term safety of our community."

Baton Rouge police report more than 200 juvenile arrests so far this summer, including 40 firearm arrests. Officials say the goal is to reach young people before violence does.

BREC Superintendent Dr. Brooks Williams announced a renewed public safety partnership between BREC and law enforcement agencies serving East Baton Rouge Parish. The collaboration will strengthen communication, coordination and response across jurisdictional lines.

"A family decides whether it trusts a park long before there is ever a reason to call law enforcement," Williams said. "They see whether the property is cared for. They notice whether the lights work, whether the grounds are maintained, whether the facility is active and whether problems get addressed. Those are BREC responsibilities."

BREC already has nearly 1,200 surveillance cameras across roughly 70 facilities, along with park ranger patrols and off-duty law enforcement support during high-use periods. The new coordination is designed to help share information faster and respond more consistently when issues arise.

Williams said the approach goes beyond just adding officers to parks. "This is not going to be adding officers to our parks simply," Williams said. "This is going to be about creating a coordinated approach to public safety and giving families greater confidence in the places they come to play, exercise, gather and spend time together."

Baton Rouge Police Department officers will be present at games and practices through the Police Athletic League. The department is also working to connect BREC's camera system to its real-time crime center for around-the-clock coverage.

On the youth sports side, NFL FLAG commissioner Barry Stewart outlined the program's launch details. Registration opens in September, with a one-day kickoff jamboree at Memorial Park on Dec. 5. The inaugural season is expected to run seven weeks, beginning Jan. 13 and running through early March, ending with playoffs and a championship.

The program costs $45 per child, which covers a uniform, league access, and an insurance policy for each participant.

"The clinic in December is where kids can come out, coaches can come out and get oriented or onboarded to what the league is," said Stewart. "And we're keeping it to $45 so it's affordable for every family."

A seventh-grade participant said the opportunity goes beyond just playing a sport. "It can help with their communication skills," the student said. "It can also help them get more well-known around the community, and it can also help them get better opportunities."