KY homicides decrease for fourth straight year, new state police report says
Homicides in Kentucky decreased for the fourth year in a row in 2024, according to a new crime data report from Kentucky State Police.
Released Tuesday, the 2024 Crime in Kentucky Report details crimes in Kentucky, including incidents by county and crime rates compared with previous years.
For the last four years, homicide rates have been declining, according to the report. In 2024, state police recorded 536 homicide offenses.
In 2022, state police recorded 571 homicides. In 2023, the number dropped nearly 2%, with 562 recorded homicide offenses. In 2021, 647 homicide offenses were recorded.
Overall crime rates remained stable as several other crimes — burglaries, robberies, sex offenses and kidnappings — decreased, too.
Overall, serious crime in Kentucky dropped by 8%, according to the report.
“While the Kentucky State Police is charged with compiling this report each year, we could not fulfill our mission without the support of local, state and federal agencies,” Philip Burnett Jr., commissioner of Kentucky State Police said. “It is because of this intense collaboration that Kentucky and its communities are safer, and we are grateful for their partnership in this effort.”
Crime drop part of ‘Our New Kentucky Home’
Governor Andy Beshear said Tuesday’s report builds on the administration’s recent announcements that Kentucky had achieved another record-low recidivism rate and a third consecutive yearly decrease in overdose deaths.
In May, Beshear announced the state’s drug overdose deaths fell for the third year in a row in 2024 — this time by 30% from one year earlier, according to the Kentucky Drug Overdose Fatality Report.
That decrease was a significant jump from 2023, when overdose deaths decreased by 10%.
“As we build Our New Kentucky Home, we’re ensuring not only that our communities are safer, but that our people feel safer too,” Beshear said. “Today’s announcement is a testament to our law enforcement officers’ commitment to serve and protect the commonwealth as we make our communities stronger, our streets safer.”
Beshear touted another accolade, too: Fewer Kentuckians have returned to prison after their release.
In February, the state announced that nearly 70% of those released from state custody have not returned.
Shortly after the announcement, Beshear’s administration established the Team Kentucky Office of Reentry Services, which works to coordinate reentry services across government agencies.
The report’s statistics
The statistics published in the report are collected through offense and arrest data, which are submitted to KSP by law enforcement agencies throughout the commonwealth. Statistics are a snapshot of offense and arrest data at the time of release. Reports received after the release date and updates to previously submitted data can affect prior totals.
KSP requires law enforcement to submit their data through the National Incident-Based Reporting System, the standard reporting system for the FBI.
Louisville Metro Police Department, Winchester Police Department, Owensboro Police Department and Nelson County Sheriff’s Office submit through their own system.
This story was originally published July 2, 2025 at 9:26 AM.
