Serious crime in Kentucky fell for the second consecutive year, with the 2025 Crime in Kentucky report released Thursday showing an 8.14% decrease in Category A crime reports from 2024 to 2025. Of the 23 categories of serious crime tracked in the report, 17 saw a decrease in crimes reported.

Gov. Andy Beshear said the results demonstrate the impact of collaborative law enforcement efforts across the commonwealth. "We want Kentuckians to be safe and feel safe in their communities, and the progress we're making to stop serious crime across the commonwealth is making a difference," Beshear said.

Notable decreases in the report include an 11.25% drop in drug and narcotic offenses and a 15.64% decrease in homicide offenses. Kentucky State Police Commissioner Philip Burnett Jr. credited partnerships across law enforcement agencies for the progress. "The Kentucky State Police is proud to work with local, state and federal partners each day in our shared mission to build a safer commonwealth," Burnett said.

The announcement builds on other public safety improvements highlighted by the Beshear-Coleman administration, including a record-low recidivism rate and a 30.2% drop in overdose deaths in 2024. The administration has awarded more than $12 million in grant funding to assist state and local law enforcement agencies with enhancing public and officer safety, curbing the sale of illegal drugs and fighting addiction. Additionally, the state has committed over $149 million in grants to victim service agencies across Kentucky.

The statistics in the Crime in Kentucky Report are collected through offense and arrest data submitted to the Kentucky State Police by law enforcement agencies throughout the commonwealth, using the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), which is the standard reporting system for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.