NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Last night, Monroe lost a child. A two-year-old baby—innocent, defenseless, and full of promise—was killed along with two adult males in a violent home invasion. This is not just a tragedy. It is a moral wake up call.

We grieve with the family. We grieve as a City. And we say clearly: This is not who we are. Monroe has made historic progress in reducing homicides. But one child’s death at the hands of criminal recklessness is one too many.

Regardless of the facts, children should never be victims of violent actions. Far too often we’ve watched violence and crime plague our families and community – criminals are killing our children, whether by bullets, retaliation, or the environments they create. This is a community problem, and it demands a community solution.

Since taking office in July 2020, we’ve had a historic 64% reduction in homicides. In 2020 we had 22 homicides, that year, and our community demanded action. In 2024, we recorded 8 homicides. This year, before last night, that number was at 6. Each life lost is one too many. We’ve made progress but there is more work to be done.

Since 2020 we’ve been very intentional with community policing, building trust with our neighbors, youth/senior programming, and investing in our officers, giving them the training, equipment and freedom to do their jobs professionally and effectively.
Today, more people are stepping forward with information that helps solve crimes. That’s real change.

I’m incredibly proud of our Monroe Police Department…the dedicated men and women who serve every day with honor and courage. I’m proud of the partnership between city leaders, law enforcement, and the community. It’s this same dedication by our public servants and partnership across the community that will solve this crime and bring the criminals to justice and prevent ones like it in the future. We have seen historic drops in violent crime in our City, but today is a sober reminder that the work isn’t done.

To those selling poison in our neighborhoods, hiding behind fear and silence: we see you. We know what you’re doing. And we will find you. You will be held accountable. You are not just breaking the law—you are breaking the hearts of this City.

This is not just about criminals. It’s about consequences. The Monroe Police Department will do its part to arrest those who committed this crime. We will be counting on our judges and district attorneys to do their part in completing the cycle of justice and holding those convicted fully accountable. Sentencing must reflect the seriousness of the harm.

We are not helpless. We are not hopeless. Today, we stand together—faith leaders, city officials, law enforcement, and residents—to say: enough. We will protect our children. We will reclaim our streets. And we will not wait for another funeral to act.

We are counting on those who have information about this crime to come forward. The community’s role in sharing information is critical. We have asked Crime Stoppers to double its reward for those who help solve this crime to $5,000. You can call 318-388-CASH and make anonymous tips.

We will expand community patrols, youth outreach, and neighborhood accountability.

We are calling on judges and prosecutors to meet with us publicly and discuss their sentencing process.

We will support families who want to leave dangerous environments—and we will not tolerate intimidation or retaliation.

We will be reconvening a coalition of faith leaders, community leaders, and others to identify ways to work together toward short and long-term solutions.

We pledge to keep the public briefed with accurate and timely info. This baby’s life mattered. And if we mean that, we must act like it. Monroe is watching. Louisiana is watching. And history will ask what we did next.

Mayor Friday Ellis