Nashville Survey Finds 70% Feel Safe in City

A Nashville Police and Public Safety Alliance survey of about 1,000 residents shows perceived safety rising from 67% in 2025.

Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Law Enforcement

Nashville Survey Finds 70% Feel Safe in City

Live Poll

Do you think Nashville is handling public safety well?

The Nashville Police and Public Safety Alliance released a survey showing 70% of residents feel safe in Nashville, up from 67% in 2025. Violent crime in Davidson County is down nearly 15% year-to-date compared to the same period last year.

Why it matters

The findings suggest rising perceived safety in Nashville alongside declining crime totals countywide, though public ratings of the city's overall handling of safety remain divided. Local officials and residents weighing public safety priorities for the city now have a fresh measure of community sentiment.

The survey measured resident perceptions rather than legal proceedings, with 36% rating police safety technology highly effective, down from 45% last year. Violent crime countywide is down nearly 15% and property offenses down 17% year-to-date, though the source does not specify the underlying causes of these declines.

The players

Nashville Police and Public Safety Alliance

The Nashville Police and Public Safety Alliance is a local public safety organization that conducted and released the resident survey.

The details

Respondents identified youth programs, police de-escalation training, and re-entry programs as effective approaches, while also prioritizing additional police funding, stronger gun regulations, and mental health support. The city has added school resource officers to increase student safety, and the Alliance attributed the increase in perceived safety to first responders, the police department, and the mayor's office.

Early September 2026: Survey of approximately 1,000 Nashville residents conducted.
November 13, 2026: Survey results published.
2025: Prior survey showed 67% of residents felt safe.

Season Trajectory

The 70% figure rises from 67% in the 2025 Nashville survey, extending a year-over-year trend in perceived safety. Declines in violent and property crime countywide provide the backdrop against which residents' rising sense of security is being measured.

Residents in Nashville and Davidson County are seeing declining crime totals alongside shifting views on police technology and city safety handling. Priorities cited by respondents, including youth programs, de-escalation training, and mental health support, point to where public attention may focus in local safety decisions.

The takeaway

Perceptions of safety in Nashville are improving even as residents remain split on how the city handles public safety. Following local safety initiatives and future survey results can help readers track whether these trends hold.