By Brianna Hawkins

   

East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar C. Moore III spoke to students of the Louisiana Scholastic Press Association Summer Institute on Tuesday. He discussed the reduction of the homicide rates in Baton Rouge.

 

The New Orleans native worked as an intern for a DA’s office while studying criminal justice,  before earning a degree from Southern University Law School. Moore served as criminal justice attorney for 11 years, before deciding to run for district attorney.

 

As a district attorney, Moore focuses on the violence and murders going on in Baton Rouge and the reasons behind it.

 

“I inherited 160 people that were in jail awaiting trials on a second degree murder life in prison case.” Moore said.

 

Moore wanted to know why there was much violence going on in the neighborhoods. Moore’s curiosity led him to read a book called, Don’t Shoot by David M. Kennedy. In the book, Kennedy explains the reasons behind murders and also his solutions to the problem.

 

Kennedy’s solution was popularly known as the Boston ceasefire, which helped reduced the high murder rate in the city drastically. Moore was inspired by the Kennedy’s idea so much that he decided to contact him about Baton Rouge’s homicide problem.

 

From the help of Kennedy and others, Moore spearheaded the Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination (BRAVE) program in 2012. The program focuses on juveniles ages 13-20 and helps reduce crime and violence. In its first year, BRAVE reduced the homicide crimes by 25 percent.

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