Alexa Doiron
communitynews@ourvalley.org
The SafeWise Report released its “20 Safest Cities in Virginia” report on July 10,. To compile this report, SafeWise used the most recent FBI crime data from 2015 to analyze and rank these cities, which all have a minimum population of 3,000 people.
SafeWise is a community-focused security organization committed to increasing safety education, awareness, and preparedness. The organization helps its users compare security options in an informative and pressure-free environment so they can make the choice that’s right for their family.
Radford has grown over the past few years in terms of safety and community relationships, said Jenni Wilder, Radford’s Public Information Coordinator.
“The city has improved by taking care of the little things such as building relationships across the community,” she said. “Those relationships coupled with good, basic police work and a strong Commonwealth Attorney make Radford less attractive to criminals.”
The Old Dominion State comes in with the third-lowest violent crime rate and the tenth-lowest property crime rate in the country. This puts Virginia in the top ten for both violent crime and property crime rates. Virginia has a number of public safety task forces and initiatives that speak to the state’s impressive commitment to protecting and serving its citizens.
“Virginia ranks among the ten safest states in the country in regard to both violent and property crimes,” SafeWise security analyst Rebecca Edwards says. “The state boasts the third-lowest violent crime rate and comes in tenth for property crime. These twenty safe cities are the best of the best when it comes to protecting citizens and reducing crime.”
SafeWise narrowed down the cities based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape, and robbery) and property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft) in each city. To further level the playing field, we calculated the likelihood of these crimes occurring out of 1,000 people in each city. Radford is proud to have made the list and considers it an honor, Wilder said.
“Radford is a close-knit community. Neighbors look out for one another,” she said. “Radford City Police Department enjoys an excellent relationship with the public and community as a whole, which leads to good two way communication and a reduction in crime.”
