The latest “Ponderings from Paducah” is posted. This blog entry is from Paducah Police Chief Brian Laird who discusses Paducah’s population and crime rate. Learn more at https://paducahky.gov/ponderings-paducah
PONDERINGS FROM PADUCAH – Crime Statistics
While many consider Paducah a “small” town, it is a much busier city than people realize. The daily population is often around 100,000 putting us in the category of a mid-size city.
Despite the influx of people into our community, our crime rate remains low.
Crime in a community is impactful. No matter how minor the offense, it has a negative effect on someone. We are fortunate that, since 2019, the most serious types of crime have dropped by 31 percent.
Usually around this time each year, internet reports begin to appear stating Paducah is one of the most dangerous cities in Kentucky. What these reports don’t consider is the population increase Paducah sees on a daily basis.
When you compare our crime numbers to the daily population and not the census numbers, we are doing well. Also, the majority of our crime rate is driven by retail theft due to our being a shopping hub.
We are fortunate that even with the daily surge of population, we are able to keep our small-town feeling.
Paducah continues to be a safe place to visit and raise a family.
(written by Paducah Police Chief Brian Laird)
