Marc Levin, chief policy counsel for the Council on Criminal Justice, said overall, since the pandemic, trust between law enforcement and communities has increased nationwide, and many states are now seeing improvements.
"We know from basically 2022, 2023, 2024, we saw tremendous progress," Levin reported. "Not just in crime dropping, but also incarceration fell."
Over the past few years, Kentucky lawmakers have doubled down on criminal laws to increase penalties and sentences, including the passage of House Bill 5, also known as the Safer Kentucky Act. The legislation created a "three strikes" law, increased penalties for carjacking and shoplifting, and banned street camping.
Levin added that the recent immigration crackdown will have implications for understanding future crime trends, noting many communities have recently become fearful of calling 911.
"We don't know what the effect is yet in terms of people using the justice system and not being afraid to call the police," Levin acknowledged.
According to research from the National Immigrant Justice Center, a rise in immigration enforcement can heighten fears of the police among immigrant communities and make it less likely people will contact law enforcement if they are the victim of a crime or provide information about a crime.
