By Angela Hatton
Hopkinsville, KY – The Hopkinsville Police Department is seeing a reduction in major crimes in the first quarter of 2010. This follows a trend that began with department reorganization in 2008. Public Information Officer Paul Ray says crimes like burglary and assault went down 25% between 2008 and 2009. In the first three months of this year, police reported 20 burglaries, down from 31 the same time a year ago. Larceny, rape, and assault also declined. Ray says the police force now targets high crime rate areas and overlaps shifts during high volume times of the day. Ray says police have also worked to improve the relationship with the community through public meetings.