New report names W’burg as one of the 20 safest cities in Kentucky

Williamsburg is a pretty safe place to live.

SafeWise released its Fourth Annual Safest Cities in Kentucky report on Monday, and Williamsburg ranked 18th on the list.

“I just think it shows the hard work of our police department to keep us safe. I have to give real kudos to Police Chief Wayne Bird and his officers, the fire department and all the other departments. Safety is not just burglaries. It is being able to walk around town too,” said Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison.
“Credit also goes to the citizens of Williamsburg. Without them and their cooperation, those numbers would not be that.”

To identify the safest cities in Kentucky, SafeWise reviewed the most recent FBI Crime Report statistics from 2015, along with population data. Cities with fewer than 4,000 residents as well as any cities that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI were eliminated.

From there, SafeWise evaluated the remaining cities narrowing it down 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, SafeWise calculated the likelihood of these crimes occurring out of 1,000 people in each city.

Williamsburg was calculated to have 1.7 violent crimes and 14.96 property crimes per 1,000 people, according to the report.

Last year Williamsburg ranked 15th on the list.

“I am very proud to be in the top 25. I believe this is four years in a row we have been in the top 25. I am just very proud,” Harrison added.

Williamsburg is the only local town on the list.

On average, the twenty safest cities in the state reported fewer than one violent crime per 1,000 people.

That’s almost 90% less than the regional average, according to the most recent FBI crime report.

“Analyzing the FBI crime report further, we discovered these twenty safety-minded cities cited a total of just 358 burglaries—remarkably few considering they represent over 180,000 citizens. Equally impressive: there were zero reports of murder and only four arsons among the cities on our list,” SafeWise wrote in the report.

“We congratulate the citizens, leaders, and law enforcement officers of all twenty communities, some of which  – like Independence – deserve special recognition. Not only is Independence the third-safest city in the state, but it is also the most populated one on our list, with over 26,000 residents … The fact that 90% of these cities are making their second consecutive appearance as Kentucky’s safest places to live indicates they don’t take safety for granted.”

SafeWise is a home security and safety brand committed to increasing safety education, awareness, and preparedness in American communities.

SafeWise has been recognized by several reputable publications including The Huffington Post, AngiesList, Mashable, US News, and Homes.com, for their Home Security Brand Comparisons and Safest Cities Reports.