08/21/2026
This is the Op-ed I wrote and submitted to The Paducah Sun on August 14, 2026 to be published, it was not published. I followed up and left my number but of course no response, so help me make this available for everyone to read. Ty
Public Safety Should Build Trust, Not Fear During Paducah’s 8th of August Celebration
By Savvy Shabazz, Paducah Native
Paducah will always be home to me. I was born and raised there, I have more than 100 relatives in the area, and the 8th of August Celebration represents history, family, culture and a homecoming for many of us. But this year, I left my hometown deeply concerned about what I personally experienced and witnessed involving law enforcement.
During my visit, I was pulled over by two Paducah Police Department officers who told me my headlights were not on. When I looked at the dial, they were in the on position. I turned them off and back on until the officers were satisfied. During the stop, I was also told that I lived in Indiana and asked what I was doing in Paducah. I explained that I was home for the 8th of August Celebration.
I left wondering: What did where I lived or why I was in Paducah have to do with my headlights?
My nephew also had a troubling experience. He was pulled over after allegedly not activating his turn signal until he stopped at a stop sign. After he and his truck were cleared, the officer asked, “Is this your truck?” My nephew is a Paducah homeowner, Army veteran and foreman with a local union union for over 10 years. Those accomplishments should not be necessary for anyone to receive respectful treatment, but the question raises concerns about assumptions regarding who belongs and who is presumed to own what.
Within approximately 30 minutes to an hour, I personally witnessed seven or eight vehicles pulled over within roughly a four-to-five-mile radius on Paducah’s Northside. I also received reports of individuals being arrested or cited for offenses described as jaywalking and hitchhiking, and I later reviewed publicly available charge information online.
The cumulative effect was unmistakable: Residents and visitors told me they felt harassed, over-policed, targeted, racially profiled and intimidated.
I felt it myself.
By Saturday night, I was afraid to drive around my own hometown. Instead of continuing to visit family and friends, enjoy the celebration and support local businesses, I returned to my hotel because I feared being pulled over again. No one returning home for a historic cultural celebration should feel safer staying inside a hotel room than traveling through the community where they were raised.
That fear has economic consequences. Black-owned businesses, restaurants, food vendors and entrepreneurs depend on the increased activity surrounding the 8th of August. When people leave early, stay in their hotels or avoid areas because they fear police encounters, local businesses potentially lose revenue.
Fines and fees can also create another harmful consequence. For people who cannot afford them, a seemingly minor citation can snowball into court appearances, additional costs, transportation problems, missed work and deeper involvement in the court system. Public safety should not unnecessarily create pathways into financial hardship.
We must also understand the difference between "Police Presence" and "Policing."
Police presence means officers are visible, accessible and prepared to protect people when necessary. Policing feels very different when people experience repeated stops, questioning, surveillance and enforcement that makes them feel like they are the threat. Public safety should produce security, not fear.
Moving forward, Paducah needs broader community engagement. A few individual residents cannot and should not be treated as the sole voice of Paducah’s Black community. City leaders must hear from young people, elders, business owners, veterans, returning citizens, faith leaders, advocates and everyday residents.
Officers should also receive ongoing training in cultural diversity, race relations, implicit bias, procedural justice and de-escalation. Understanding the historical relationship between law enforcement and Black communities is equally important to rebuilding trust.
Paducah should also explore creating a Community Police Accountability Board with meaningful community representation to examine concerns, identify patterns, recommend policy and training improvements, and strengthen transparency and accountability.
Finally, city leaders should publicly review the number and nature of traffic stops, citations, pedestrian stops and arrests on the Northside during the 8th of August weekend and compare that enforcement activity with similar weekends and celebrations elsewhere in Paducah.
This is bigger than my traffic stop or any individual officer. I love my hometown enough to ask a difficult question:
Does our approach to public safety build trust or create fear?
The answer will help determine what kind of Paducah we leave for the next generation.
