Following the recent violence in Henderson, including two separate fatal shootings, I sat down exclusively with Henderson Police Chief Reggie Rader on Friday and asked him directly whether he believes the city is safer today than when he took over the department more than a year ago.
Rader told me the city's crime numbers are down and said the department has increased its patrol presence.
But with families seeing headlines about violent crime, I wanted to know what those numbers actually mean for the people who live in Henderson.
I asked Rader: Is it safe to say that Henderson is safer today than when you first became police chief, by what you've implemented?
Rader told me that, based on the numbers, he believes it is.
If we're looking at the numbers, yes, our crime numbers are down. I think the city is safer. I've been a very small part in that equation," Rader said. "The majority of the work is being done by the great men and women, the brave heroes that we have on the Henderson Police Department. But yes, I'm very fortunate that we have been able to really have an impact on the quality of life for our residents and being able to reduce crime.
Rader told me keeping crime down isn't just the responsibility of police. He said residents also play an important role by reporting suspicious activity when they see it.
His message: If something doesn't look right, call.
Rader said he'd rather have officers respond and discover there is no crime taking place than have someone decide not to call and later become the victim of a crime.
The chief's comments come as Henderson deals with the aftermath of the double-fatal shooting that police said involved a domestic relationship.
The case has also brought new attention to domestic violence and the violence that can happen behind closed doors, an issue Rader discussed during our exclusive conversation.
