The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are facilitating a national surveillance system entitled the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) to merge uniform violent death data from all states. In 2018, NVDRS expanded to all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Kentucky was funded in 2004 and started to collect violent death data in 2005. For more information on the NVDRS please visit National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS).
The Kentucky Violent Death Reporting System (KYVDRS) addresses the need for accurate surveillance and data analysis by combining data from death certificates, coroner/medical examiner reports, police reports, crime laboratory reports, toxicology reports, and child fatality review team reports. Click the following link to view the KYVDRS data flow chart.
By carefully examining the data, we learn who, what, when, where, and why these events occur. Populations may then be identified and targeted for interventions.
Special Thanks To:
Kentucky Department for Public Health, Kentucky Coroners, Kentucky Medical Examiners, Kentucky State Police, KSP Criminal Identification and Records Branch, KSP Forensic Crime Laboratories, Toxicology Laboratory, Child Fatality Review Teams, and The Department of Criminal Justice Training.
This project is supported by cooperative agreement number 424128 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC.
KYVDRS Data Requests and Reports
To make a data request please contact the KYVDRS team at KVDRS@uky.edu.
Monthly Infographics
Current Infographic
Suicide in Kentucky
Past infographics
Intimate Partner Related Violent Deaths
*All infographics were adapted from or inspired by the Safe States reports.