Crime is one of the biggest problems facing Baton Rouge at the moment.  In 2017, the city had one of the highest murder rates on a per capita basis in the country. It’s a problem that’s holding the community back, and affecting economic development. But efforts are under way to address the crime and the systemic problems that are causing it, especially in  the most impoverished areas of our community.

Rinaldi Jacobs is Executive Director of the Baton Rouge North Economic Development district, which was created in late 2016 to spur investment in the vast area of the parish known as North Baotn Rouge and roughly defined as everything above Florida boulevard. Rindald was one of the creators of the district and served on a volunteer basis before becoming Executive Director in the fall of 2017. 

Kelly Leduff is owner of Open Eyes, a company that provides safety training, safety systems and other safety servces to clients in and around Baton Rouge. The firm started out providing self-defense training to businesses and individuals. It has since grown to provide a much broader array of services. Recently, it parented with a company called Blue Point Technology to install emergency alert systems in public buildings Kelly launched Open Eyes in 2009 with his father, former Baton Rouge Police Chief Jeff Leduff, who brings more than 30 years of law enforcement experience to the venture. 

Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Manurs On The Boulevard.