The Roy Howard Community Journalism Center’s “What Is True?” team investigated a claim that Laurel is now “the most dangerous city in Mississippi.”
RESULT: Misleading
The claim comes from a study by Reolink, a company that sells home security cameras. The ranking was later republished by websites and reported by several news outlets. To understand what the study found — and what it leaves out — read the full fact-check below.
“Fresh 2026 numbers show about 1,000 violent crimes and nearly 5,000 property crimes for every 100,000 people in Laurel — more than any other city in the state,” Reolink’s study states. “So, while Jackson makes headlines for murders, the overall risk of being robbed, assaulted or having your car stolen is greatest in Laurel.”
However, the “fresh 2026 numbers” are not crimes reported in 2026. Reolink’s methodology shows the rankings are based on 2023 FBI crime data and 2024 Mississippi Department of Public Safety reports.
More recent data tell a different story. Laurel Police Department data reviewed by the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center show total reported crime declined about 12% from 2024 to 2025. Violent crime fell about 15%, while property crime dropped nearly 20%. Those improvements are not reflected in Reolink’s analysis because it relies on older data.
Reolink also reports crime rates per 100,000 residents. That is a standard statistical method used by researchers and government agencies to compare communities of different sizes. However, in smaller cities such as Laurel — which has fewer than 20,000 residents — relatively small changes in the number of crimes can produce much larger swings in the per capita rate.
The Laurel Police Department reported that robberies increased from six to 10 incidents in one year. Although that represents only four additional robberies, small changes in the number of crimes can have a larger effect on a city’s per-capita crime rate when the population is relatively small.
There is also no official list ranking the “most dangerous” cities in America. The FBI, which collects much of the crime data used in these rankings, specifically cautions against using its crime data to rank cities because differences in population, demographics, policing practices and crime reporting make direct comparisons unreliable.
Reolink is a company that sells home security products, and its crime rankings also serve as marketing content that may encourage consumers to purchase security equipment. That commercial purpose is worth considering when evaluating the study’s conclusions.
About “What Is True?”
The RHCJC “What Is True?” team investigates claims ranging from viral social media posts to local community rumors. If you have a question you’d like the team to investigate, submit it through the “What Is True?” inquiry form on the RHCJC website or call 855-IS-IT-TRU (855-474-8878).
