More specific to your question - The racial makeup of the city was 97.87% White, 0.04% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.56% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 1.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
A clue might be found in the fact that Paragould is home to Arkansas State University Paragould, Arkansas Northeastern College, Black River Technical College, and Crowley's Ridge College.
Lots of young folks, and perhaps a growing drug problem?
The crime stats show the area to be...'safer' than 3% of the cities in the US. Yes. http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ar/paragould/crime/
I'd take a pass at visiting there if you are doing a tour of the Deep South - maybe just go to NO and get mugged in the French Quarter - more scenic after all.
You mention New Orleans, but ironically, that’s been part of the problem. The refugees from Katrina came here and never left. Almost everyone here acknowledges that its a big contributing factor.
Otherwise, ASU attracts some problems from Little Rock and Memphis (the other colleges are tiny and almost exclusively draw from the locals). That doesn’t help either.
Check out the City-data page on Paragould and scroll down to the chart "Crime in Paragould by Year" and note the bottom line "Crime Index" number.
What accounts for such a jump? New Sheriff or Chief in town? Agenda 21?
Other than the change in crime stats and the new paramilitary police force, it looks like a very nice town with a larger than average church going population.