Paducah Police Chief Bridal Laird gave a tour of the department and a ride-along to Commissioner Duane Thomas, outlining how training and technology shape day-to-day policing in Paducah.

Laird said he started in the department after a college internship and has worked in multiple divisions. He described the department’s four divisions—operations (marked patrol), investigations/support services, the 9-1-1 center (added in 2019) and administration—and noted specialized units including a bomb squad that serves 13 counties and is one of five in Kentucky, a SWAT team, K-9 units and a drone team.

Laird disputed online listings that label Paducah as Kentucky’s most dangerous city, saying per-capita comparisons depend on census population and that Paducah’s daytime population is substantially higher. "Paducah is a very safe city to live in," he said, and added the city compares favorably when adjusted for daytime population.

On training, Laird said Kentucky requires officers to receive 40 hours of annual in-service training after academy graduation; Paducah typically provides 80–120 hours per officer each year, using simulators and brief roll-call trainings to practice realistic scenarios. Laird linked those efforts to crime reductions: "Since 2019, major crime and crime in general across the entire city has gone down every year," he said, noting an about 16% decrease in 2020.

During the patrol portion, Laird showed Commissioner Thomas the patrol vehicle’s equipment: an in-car laptop and printer, integrated front-and-rear radar that captures speed while moving, in-car cameras and Axon body cameras that integrate with vehicle systems, and license-plate readers that check plates against national databases to flag stolen cars, missing persons and alerts. He described calibration and accuracy checks for radar using tuning forks and tests.

Laird also described policies and equipment meant to reduce use of lethal force: a restrictive vehicle-pursuit policy that requires supervisor approval and a showing that the need to apprehend outweighs risk; department-wide less-lethal tools including beanbag shotguns, tasers and pepper-ball devices; and rear passenger compartment cameras to monitor transported individuals. He said body and in-car cameras help protect both officers and citizens by permitting supervisor review of complaints.

The chief encouraged residents to participate in the Citizens Police Academy and offered ride-alongs (background check required) as ways for the public to understand policing. He directs the public to the city website for the department’s annual report and recruitment information.