One of the best things about Kentucky is that it remains one of the safest places in which to live.
According to the website 24/7 Wall St., we have the sixth-lowest violent-crime rate among the states, while several south of us rank among the top 10 highest. Tennessee’s rate, for example, is nearly three times the size of ours.
There are several reasons behind this disparity, but some of the more prominent include a lot of hard work by law enforcement and efforts at the local and state level to crack down on offenders while tackling the underlying issues that caused them to act.
There are still some sizable challenges, however. According to the Kentucky State Police’s most recent annual report on crime in the commonwealth, there were nearly 276,000 serious offenses investigated in 2015, which was higher than in 2014.
About four-fifths of last year’s crimes were non-violent, and more than half were tied to two broad categories: illegal drug use and stolen property.
Both of those categories were the driving reasons why we saw the overall number of offenses rise in 2015, with a comparison with the previous year showing an uptick of burglaries, thefts and drug-related cases.
A broader historical look does indicate some sustained successes in other areas. Even with a gain in population, the number of DUI arrests last year – about 23,000 – was much lower than the 30,000 arrested in 1995. Meth labs, meanwhile, have dipped from a high of 1,233 that were discovered in 2011 to 339 last year.
The KSP report includes other statistics as well. For example, in domestic violence- related matters, protective orders went up last year and more people were housed in the state’s domestic-violence shelters, but fewer people needed non-residential help than in 2014.
These numbers will likely increase going forward, however, due to a law that took effect in January to make more people eligible for protective orders. Those include victims of dating violence, stalking and sexual assaults.
While the KSP reports primarily focus on crime, they also emphasize the work that goes into investigating each offense. The 8,400 sworn officers who keep watch over us and the 2,300 civilian employees who work alongside them may make up only two-tenths of one percent of our population, but they are what makes it possible for the rest of us to enjoy the life we have.
I really appreciate the tireless dedication of our local law enforcement and have been proud to partner with them over the years on criminal-justice and public-safety matters.
As we all know, their work can carry a steep price. Last year, four officers were killed in the line of duty, and there were reports of more than 900 assaults. A memorial in Richmond dedicated to Kentucky’s fallen law enforcement officers lists more than 500 names dating back to the 1800s.
Some of the names on that list include those who served in our area, including Maysville Police Officer Danny Hay, who was killed in 1979.
As part of our ongoing work to help our law enforcement officers do their jobs, the General Assembly voted this year to increase their training stipend from $3,100 annually to $4,000, and we made several more groups eligible, including Attorney General investigators and park rangers.
A statewide review of Kentucky’s criminal justice system is currently underway and could lead to additional changes during next year’s legislative session. Those potential recommendations will build on the work we have already done over the past five years to make us safer while maximizing each tax dollar spent. It’s worth noting that Kentucky has become a national leader in this type of reform.
As we wait to see what those recommendations may be, please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have comments or concerns about this issue or any other involving Kentucky. My address is Room 329E, Capitol Annex, 702 Capitol Avenue, Frankfort, KY 40601; or you can email me at Mike.Denham@lrc.ky.gov.
To leave a message for me or for any legislator by phone, please call 800-372-7181. For those with a hearing impairment, the number is 800-896-0305.
I hope to hear from you soon.
State Rep. Mike Denham is a Democrat from Maysville and has represented House District 70 (Bracken, Fleming and Mason counties) since 2001.