It’s always interesting to watch social media when major events unfold locally. Over the past few days, the comments have been in overdrive here in Fishers.

We’ve seen several incidents requiring police involvement, the most recent being a shooting death at a local restaurant and bar. But does this mean Fishers is suddenly an unsafe city?

If you read some of the social media reactions, you might think the sky is falling. Nothing could be further from the truth.

By any reasonable measure, Fishers—now a city of more than 107,000 residents—is a safe community. But being safe doesn’t mean being perfect.

The online chatter has grown loud enough that Mayor Scott Fadness stepped in with his own message, writing in part:

“Our team works tirelessly to maintain a safe environment for Fishers families. The last few days have demonstrated that despite our best crime prevention efforts, there are times when criminal activity will still occur. Individuals responsible for crimes in our city the past few days are being held accountable, and as I have shared before, this behavior will not be tolerated in our community.”

The Fishers Police Department is among the most professional public safety agencies you’ll find anywhere. Their focus on prevention is strong, but as a city grows, incidents will happen.

So if your impression of Fishers comes from a social media feed suggesting the city has become unsafe, it’s time to take a step back. I’ve lived in Fishers for 34 years, and I have no plans to live anywhere else.