LA VERGNE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Police in La Vergne believe the start of the new year is showing promise for the city.

In just the first three months, several crime categories including residential/business burglary, vehicle burglary, robbery, and assault are all lower than this time last year.

“Anytime we have a reduction in crimes, that’s going to be a real positive for the community and businesses,” La Vergne Captain Konrad Kaul said.

Theft, overdoses, citations and warnings are much higher compared to last year.

“We got a lot of these petty thefts which are misdemeanors,” Captain Kaul said. “We’d much rather have misdemeanor crimes than our felonies, but to be honest, if we are not having physical crimes that are hurting people, we can deal with theft.”

According to Livability.com, about 500 people have moved to La Vergne every year since 2010. Lisa Eckman is among those who recently moved to La Vergne from Clarksville.

“I feel safe bringing my family here to enjoy everything,” Eckman said.

One issue she is passionate about is officers having mental health training. She believes with the proper training, officers can make the community even safer.

To see the La Vergne Police Department’s statistics, click here.