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Elizabethtown Police Chief Jeremy Thompson says with the area experiencing growth from developments such as BlueOval SK, the EPD knew it would need to match that growth, and that growth has been a reflection of the trust the city council and the community have in the department.

“We were voted one of the safest cities in the United States a few years back,” Thompson said. “We didn’t stop there and just say ‘well, that’s in the past.’ We want to continue to provide that same level, if not a higher level, of safety and security for our citizens, and again, if not for the trust that you all have in us, the trust that the community has in us, we can’t accomplish these things.”

Thompson provided an update on the EPD to the Elizabethtown City Council during their work session Monday afternoon. He said over the last eighteen months the department has added 38 positions, which in addition to increased efficiency has allowed the city to keep a step ahead of challenges that come with growth.

“Many cities that have experienced population growth, percentage wise, have had to reduce police services, fire services, because they can’t keep up with the growth because they’ve not been investing in personnel,” Thompson said. “We haven’t had to do that. As a matter of fact, we are building, we are adding on to the services we provide.”

Thompson credited department plans formed with the city and the support of the city council for making the strides the department has made possible. Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory said people living in a community want to feel safe, so supporting first responders is a priority.

“We do take pride in investing in our PD and our fire department, not only for those reasons, but because we want to make sure that you all have all the tools that you need to do the job that you do, because it is very tough,” Gregory said. “I did it for a long time.”

Data provided by Thompson says the EPD has responded to 15,663 calls in 2025. The department has responded to 452 collisions so far this year, which is trending lower than the 1,284 responded to in 2024.

Kentucky’s unemployment rate in May was mostly in line with where it was the year prior. 

The Kentucky Center for Statistics says the state unemployment average for May was 5 percent. That is up a tick from May 2024 when the average was reported at 4.9 percent, but it is down slightly from the April average of 5.2 percent.

Kentucky’s unemployment average also came in higher in May than the national unemployment rate, which the U.S. Department of Labor reported at 4.2 percent.

The Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet says the state’s civilian labor force, which includes people currently employed and people actively searching for work, saw an increase of 1,275 people from April to May, bringing the civilian labor force to a little less than 2,120,000.

The Education and Labor Cabinet says the Manufacturing, Leisure and Hospitality, Financial Activities, Trade, Transportation, and Utilities, Government, and Mining and Logging sectors saw gains in the month of May. The Construction, Professional and Business Services, Information Services, Other Services, and Educational and Health Services sectors saw decreases.

Visit the Kentucky Center for Statistics website for more about unemployment figures and labor market information.