GILBERT, AZ – Two cities in Arizona were named among the top five safest cities in the United States, according to Law Street Media.
Using information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Report Statistics in 2013, the City of Gilbert was found to have “a very efficient policing system,” according to a Monday press release.
Gilbert’s Mayor, John Lewis, said he was proud to earn this title and that, “Gilbert’s safe atmosphere is created through the dedication of our terrific police department along with the commitment to our community from our residents and businesses to continue to make it a clean, safe and vibrant place to live and work.”
The City of Scottsdale also made the list at number five. A high officer-to-resident ratio, and a “vibrant economy” were cited as two of the main factors contributing to Scottsdale’s overall safety.
The most notable aspect of Gilbert’s low level of crime is the number of police officers that the city employs. Having only one officer for every 965 people, Gilbert has a very efficient policing system given that it had only 205 instances of violent crime and 5 murders in 2012. Because Gilbert is such a safe city to live in it has recently experienced significant population growth. As a result, its police force may need to dramatically expand as people continue to flock to the city. Gilbert has been able to successfully target its few police officers to increase police visibility and keep its crime rate low.
Violent Crime Rate: 95.68 per 100,000 people
Population: 214,264
Murder Rate: 2.33 per 100,000 people
Officer to Population Ratio: 1:965
Median Household Income: $80,090
Unemployment Rate: 5.3 percent
Safest City Over 200,000 Rank in 2011: #2
To see how other cities stacked up, see the full article at lawstreetmedia.com
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