Kentucky's culture combines hospitality typical of the southern states, historical preservation, and beautiful nature. Still, the Bluegrass State has some dangerous areas, like any other state. Though certain localities could be labeled as having high violent and property crimes, Kentucky does not have a high per capita ranking for violent crimes among all the states. Whether you choose to visit any of these locations or reside there, it is essential to be aware of some of the hazards that will either assist you avoid or deal with should they materialize.

The Most Dangerous Cities in Kentucky

These cities have the highest rates of violent and property crime based on the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report:

  • Paducah
  • Covington
  • Lexington
  • Louisville
  • Owensboro

Paducah is the community with the highest violent and property offenses rates. Paducah also has a high violent crime rate, which is 2.5 times higher compared to the national average. These two cities also register above average violent crime rates than the national average rates.

Louisville is the largest city in Kentucky but it does not occupy the first position in the list of cities with the worst crime rates in the United States. But, there are some areas, or parts of Louisville that experience violent crime more often.

Repeat crimes such as burglary and theft are also most common in Paducah and Covington. Property crime rate also revealed that Owensboro has ranked the fourth highest rate in the list although its size is not as big as some of the cities mentioned above.

Precautions Essential for the Citizens of Kentucky and Tourists

No matter what city or town you live in or plan to visit in Kentucky, there are precautions you can take to reduce your chances of being the victim of a crime:

1. Paying attention to your surroundings. When you are walking or driving it is important to be aware of people around you or objects around you on the road. Do not wear headphones or have a phone around or bring any distractions with you into the room.

2. This is particularly important at night when you should avoid those secluded areas that are not well illuminated. Do not walk, drive, or cycle through poorly lit neighborhoods, abandoned areas, parking lots, and parks during the night.

3. Make sure always to lock all the doors of your house, hotel, car, and every closed property that you own. However, many burglaries occur when the burglar realizes that there is open entry.

4. Lockers: Avoid placing items with high risk-reward ratios in plain sight. Do not encourage would-be thieves by leaving laptops, phones, or any other valuables prominently inside your vehicle.

5. Thinking of security options for your home or business, an alarm and video monitoring system could be useful. Video recording is crucial in police work both as evidence and in arresting criminals.

6. If possible, do not leave alone when it is dark. The more people gathered together, the lower the likelihood of someone close to you getting killed by a nefarious teleporter. 

7. Do not wave or display cash or other valuable items around. Avoid negotiating or withdrawing money from a certain account.

8. Stay sober in public. This means that when one is drunk, they become vulnerable and therefore vulnerable to becoming a victim.

9. It is essential to be alert and cautious by avoiding trusting anything out of the ordinary or anything that is out of place. Most importantly, report anything that appears to be off or out of the ordinary.

10. Understand which city sections experience higher criminality. It is important that you get as much information as possible before you relocate, live, and perhaps even work in that area. Avoid dangerous spots.

Of course, it is always important to keep your eyes open and be attentive; however, if you are a reasonable person and if you are going to be reasonable while implementing certain safeguards, then you do not need to be terrified and paranoid. Regarding individuals, one might conclude that most of the population consists of quite nice, good folks who look out for one another. Just keep in mind that while the remainder of Kentucky is still full of beauty and exciting activities to do, just a few cities are dangerous for travel.