What keeps Ky crime stats so low? (Owensboro, Bowling Green: crime rate, home)

[kydc]

Kentucky’s crime stats are impressive on the national level. TN has one of the worst rates and Ky has one of the best. TN attributes their violent crime to their larger cities and their property crime to their rural areas due to drug problems. With so many similarities, how is KY different in this way?

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Generally, the least diverse a state is, the lower the crime rate is going to be. KY is one of the least diverse states in the country and probably a good 10 to 12 points less diverse than TN.

[kydc]

Even in rural areas is property crime not like that of Tn?

[fivenine]

Tennessee has more 50,000-150,000 population places versus Kentucky which only has 2 (Bowling Green, Owensboro). Tennessee's mid-sized cities happen to have elevated crime rates whereas Owensboro not so much although Bowling Green's crime rate is a bit elevated.

A lot of it may have to do with access. Owensboro is not on a major interstate so it is kinda isolated so it doesn't attract as many troublemakers from the outside. Whereas Jackson, Clarksville, and Murfressboro are all on major interstates or are close to major cities making them more attractive to outside gangs, drug dealers, etc. It may also explain some of the more rural areas because again outside forces aren't going to focus on largely isolated Eastern KY rural markets if the Eastern TN market which is near many major interstates (I-40, I-26, I-81) is intense. Usually the violence over control in Eastern KY drug markets usually occurs in Ohio or East TN.

[fivenine]

I may also add that the more isolated (in this case I mean away from an interstate) the more a community could hang on to maybe a more "Mayberry" like small-town feel. Since rural Kentucky is more isolated than rural Tennessee that means that the formal may not be as willing to get influenced by outside negative forces although that is just a hypothesis. Lack of reporting may also factor in to this as well in very-rural areas.

It should be noted that rural crime does occur in KY espeically property and drug and I would say persoanlly I don't feel any more safe or threatened in rural TN as I do rural KY. I have spent a lot of my life in both areas.

[SVTLightning]

Originally Posted by kydc

Even in rural areas is property crime not like that of Tn?

Most people in Rural Ky are well armed. We always were growing up.

[marino760]

Just putting my 2 cents worth in this thread. One thing which is done in Mason county and surrounding ones is that people committing crimes, no matter how small have their names published in the local paper by the fiscal court. If you don't pay a traffic fine, get caught taking a few items from Walmart, get pulled over with an illegal substance and so on, everyone will know about it including family and neighbors.
There's been an increase of car thefts locally. I believe 3 cars in the last few weeks have been stolen from the Walmart parking lot. The police have asked people to stop leaving their keys in their cars while shopping. All stolen cars had keys left in the ignition and unlocked.
I'll also add that a percentage of crimes committed in Mason County are committed by people coming over the bridge from Ohio.
I don't know how typical this is of smallish towns in KY but for me, this is what I think living in Mayberry would be like.

[MaisonDeEtre]

Originally Posted by Ivory Lee Spurlock

Generally, the least diverse a state is, the lower the crime rate is going to be. KY is one of the least diverse states in the country and probably a good 10 to 12 points less diverse than TN.

Census maps seem to show KY is fairly diverse, if we are talking African-Americans.

I'll attach a map with the major metro areas in and around KY circled.

Looks like some areas are heading toward minority-majority status in the future.

[Johnhw2]

I have heard on CD in the TN forum that crimes are reported differently in Tn vs other state. The difference is each law broken is called a crime....where if someone robbed a place after breaking and entering then encountered someone they assaulted at the same time. Tn might count this as three crimes and other states call it one crime. So that skews Tn high relative to other states. I heard this multiple times from different posters so believe it to be true.

[Laree123]

Because everyone knows everyone. I had someone steal a swing set from my second home while I was not there. The neighbor saw the guy driving it down the road and called my realtor ( it was on the market) and then my realtor called me and I called the police. The police said I know where he lives and will go get it. Midnight that night my hubby drives out to the middle of nowhere to pick it up and the police officer said I have never had swing set to recover and actually be able to recover it. Given everyone knew everyone and we got it back within 5 hours. We didn’t Charge and the police advised not to charge since they recovered it and he’s a recurring run in with the law.