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Regular Session, 2012 ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 189
BY SENATORS CROWE, PETERSON, ALARIO, APPEL, HEITMEIER, MORRELL
AND MURRAY
A RESOLUTION
To make an urgent request for additional assistance and resources to fight crime in the state
on behalf of five year old Briana "Bri" Allen who randomly and senselessly lost her
life to violent crime in New Orleans.
WHEREAS, this resolution shall heretofore be referred to as "The Briana "Bri" Allen
Memorial Resolution for Peace"; and
WHEREAS, the citizens in many areas of the state of Louisiana, and most
unfortunately, its innocent children, are enduring a spike in violent, deadly crime as in New
Orleans which is faced with the highest per capita murder rate in the country; and
WHEREAS, just this week an innocent five year old girl named Briana "Bri" Allen
was murdered shortly after graduating from kindergarten; and
WHEREAS, at the time of the murder this innocent child was celebrating a family
member's 10
th
birthday; and
WHEREAS, at the same gathering another innocent ten year old child was shot in
the neck but survived the stray gunshots, and this is just one of four separate incidents of
random shootings on the same day that left four dead and four injured in a period of only
three hours; and
WHEREAS, the streets in many areas of the state of Louisiana are becoming more
and more dangerous for the public and for police and in the midst of the rampant crime,
more and more the innocent victims are our children; and
WHEREAS, with Louisiana recently being named the most violent state in the
nation, in large part because of the violence in and around New Orleans, our people, our
businesses and industries, and our potential for economic development in the state will
suffer; and
WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana, including New Orleans, not only attracts tourists
and industry from all over the world, it is a major driver of the state's economy and the state's
national reputation which makes the staggering crime rate a shared problem that requires a
shared solution; and SR NO. 189 ENROLLED
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WHEREAS, the Senate strongly urges and requests that the Department of Public
Safety and Corrections make every attempt to have corrections services probation and parole
officers assigned in sufficient numbers in areas of the state with large numbers of individuals
who need probation and parole supervision; and
WHEREAS, every time a busy local law enforcement officer responds to or handles
an accident on the interstate, instead of the state police, other parts of a city or other area
dealing with violent crime gets get neglected; and
WHEREAS, for instance, on any given day, the NOPD typically dedicates six cars
to monitor the interstate traffic; and
WHEREAS, if state troopers can be dedicated to the interstate system in New
Orleans as well as other cities or other areas dealing with violent crime, major state
highways, and state-controlled properties, it would be a tremendous help in freeing up
NOPD and other police and law enforcement agencies in other cities and other areas dealing
with violent crime to fight crime and murder in such areas; and
WHEREAS, the Senate would like to urge and request the colonel of the state police
to work with mayors and local law enforcement agencies of the state to resolve some of
these issues so additional resources can be allocated to such areas and thereby free up local
resources to be used to target violent crime and murder in such areas; and
WHEREAS, the district attorney and the public defender are critical and important
parts of the criminal justice system; and
WHEREAS, the Senate would like to urge and request that the state fully fund and
adequately support district attorneys and public defenders in high violent crime areas ; and
WHEREAS, the loss of behavioral health beds and services means fewer services for
those who may be a danger to themselves and the community; and
WHEREAS, this means police and first responders are diverted to those individuals
whose true obstacles are behavioral health needs instead of traditional public safety
concerns; and
WHEREAS, the Senate would like to urge and request the Department of Health and
Hospitals to provide adequate budgeting to the extent possible for out patient mental health
and substance abuse services including a Mobile Crisis Response Team, four Crisis Step- SR NO. 189 ENROLLED
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Down Beds, an Assertive Community Treatment Team, and an Intensive Case Management
Team; and
WHEREAS, another year cannot go by without all stakeholders contributing to
address the escalating crime in the state and all factors outlined above are critical and
intertwined in realizing solutions; and
WHEREAS, the time is now for the state to intervene with additional assistance and
resources.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate would like to urge and request
that the state police, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, the commissioner of
administration, the Department of Health and Hospitals, and other state and local
governments and agencies all work with the mayors and local law enforcement and social
agencies of the state to dedicate and coordinate their resources in such areas so that resources
can be effectively focused or freed up and used to target violent crime and murder in the
state thereby restoring faith that Louisiana is a safe place to live, work, and play.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution shall heretofore be referred to
as "The Briana "Bri" Allen Memorial Resolution for Peace".
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
superintendent of the office of state police, the secretary of the Department of Public Safety
and Corrections, the secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, the commissioner
of administration, the governor, mayors of the cities of New Orleans, Baton Rouge,
Shreveport, and Monroe, and the family of Briana "Bri" Allen.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE