Not only is Nacogdoches a beautiful and friendly place to live, it is also a safe and well-protected community.

The Sheriff’s Department is charged with maintaining public safety within Nacogdoches County. The Sheriff’s Office is the 911 public service answering point for county residents. The department is staffed with 30 deputies.

Within the City of Nacogdoches, the Nacogdoches Police Department provides the best law enforcement protection possible by maintaining highly trained personnel through continual educational programs. NPD is staffed with 67 municipal officers. In addition, Nacogdoches is served by 27 licensed peace officers in Stephen F. Austin State University’s police department, and four officers on the Nacogdoches Independent School District force.

One very important service of the Nacogdoches Police Department is the Home Safe Program, created to assist the Nacogdoches Treatment Center and Alzheimer’s Association. This program maintains a database of individuals who suffer from dementia and/or Alzheimer’s and allows the police department instant access to information for those individuals in case they become lost. Each file includes a photo, personal information, and medical needs.

The Nacogdoches Fire Department has a full-time professional staff of 58 assigned to five fire stations strategically located throughout the city. Nacogdoches County has 18 volunteer fire departments. Nearly 225 volunteers protect outlying communities.

Beginning May 1, 2013, City of Nacogdoches residents will benefit from an improved ISO rating. The improved rating from a Class 4 to a Class 2, puts the City of Nacogdoches in the top 6.5% percent of communities in Texas and in the top 0.8% in the United States.

Homeowners could see a possible 8-12% reduction in their annual insurance premium (assuming all endorsements and perils remain constant).

The Insurance Services Office (ISO) is a private organization, funded by the insurance industry that evaluates communities’ ability to provide fire protection.  ISO issues a Public Protection Classification (PPC Rating) to over 48,000 communities in the US on a scale of 1 to 10.  Class 1 generally represents superior property fire protection, and Class 10 indicates that the area's fire-suppression program doesn't meet ISO’s minimum criteria. By classifying communities' ability to suppress fires, ISO helps the communities evaluate their public fire-protection services. The program provides an objective, nationwide standard that helps fire departments in planning and budgeting for facilities, equipment, and training. ISO ratings are used by the insurance industry to help determine premiums (better ISO rating equals reduced insurance rates).