How Safe is Louisiana’s Capitol City?
When it comes to safety, how doesn't Baton Rouge rank against other state capitols? In the wake of the breach of the US Capitol Building in Washington D.C. earlier this month, we're all more focused on security and the safety of our lawmakers. Add in that there were protests planned at all 50 state capitols over the weekend ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration this Wednesday, and it was time for a hard look at our standard operating procedure.
It's a good thing we did because according to a study by WalletHub.com, Baton Rouge is the LEAST safe capitol city out of all 50 states. Wow! The findings are based on looking at 44 key metrics including Baton Rouge being tied for 45th place in the country for unemployment, 47th for having a high premature death rate, 47th for health conditions, 48th for crime, 42nd for affordability, 47th for economic well-being, 47th for quality education and health, and 41st for overall quality of life.
I don't know about you, but it's not a good look in my book. I've personally never felt unsafe in Baton Rouge, but I'm generally there for work at nice event spaces or on campus for an LSU game. In comparison, Austin is listed as the safest state capitol in the country. Why can't we get it together like our next-door neighbors in Texas?