Jump to Safety History

Call these numbers if you have a safety concern:

911 - Emergencies, incidents in progress, and urgent needs

(859) 425-2390 -- Captain Mark Barnard, who commands the Central Sector (including the MLK area)

(859) 425-2105 -- The Central Sector Neighborhood Resource Line, Officer Ricky J. Lynn, who knows a LOT about our neighborhood and how to help.

(859) 258-3600 -- Contact or leave a message for a police officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, or other employee.

When you are reporting a problem, you may be asked to give your name. If you do not want to do this, say, "I would rather not say." You are NOT required to give your name.

If you want a police officer to let you know what happened as a result of your call, of course you will need to give your name.

PLEASE write a note or email to the Divison of Police when they have helped with a problem. This helps with morale and also helps the police continue to make the case for the resources they need to do good work in our neighborhood. Write:

Chief Anthany Beatty
Lexington Division of Police
150 East Main Street
Lexington, KY 40507

Send Chief Beatty email at policechief@lfucg.com
You can address mail to any police officer at the address above, if you prefer to write directly. Be sure to send Chief Beatty a copy.

The Martin Luther King Neighborhood lies in the Central Sector, one of three sectors defined by the Lexington-Fayette County Division of Police. The neighbors and the police officers who have worked together since 1999 are proud of our increased safety and decreased crime.

The Central Sector has made steady gains in crime reduction for the past several years. Police presence is strong in the Central Sector, and response time is the best in the city.

History of Collaboration between the MLKNA and Police

The Martin Luther King Neighborhood Association founders and early members understood one thing clearly: Safety is the foundation for everything good in the 'hood. The successes in building warm ties among neighbors, housing improvement, Duncan Park and youth programming all stem from a solid and persistent effort by neighbors and police to make our neighborhood safe, secure, and welcoming.

The MLKNA's first big success came with the launch of a Neighborhood Watch Program in 1999. Neighbors gave each other names and phone numbers for the first time. Trust increased. People worked together to identify ways to improve safety.

Since 1999, officers of the Lexington-Fayette County Divison of Police have met with neighbors at every monthly meeting of the MLKNA. In 2000, the Divison of Police formed the Neighborhood Support Unit, and asked for volunteers, officers who were interested in learning a new way of policing through developing relationships with citizens and neighborhood organizations to prevent crime, not just prosecute it.

Officer Brian Wofford served as a Neighborhood Support officer for the Martin Luther King neighborhood for two years, until early 2003. Officer Chad Howard served as the second officer for our area (as part of a much larger area). The MLKNA had great benefits from the constant communication and growing partnership with these capable officers and their supervisor, Sergeant Joan Root.

Budget cuts and significant reductions in overall numbers of police officers caused the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to put the successful Neighborhood Support Unit on hold in late 2003.

Even so, the Central Sector police officers maintained strong ties with the MLKNA. Officer Ricky Lynn, among many others, built on his experience with the 'hood and carried out community policing in the area.

New Central Sector Captain Mark Barnard supports a community-oriented policing style. He has initiated a northside network of neighborhoods that includes the MLKNA. This new network promises to expand the benefits of neighborhood-police cooperation.