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LOGAN -- The Logan metropolitan area was recently ranked the most crime-free in the nation based on statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
CQ Press released its annual list of city and metropolitan area crime rankings Dec. 8. Logan had the lowest crime rate ranking, followed by the St. George metropolitan area at third place and Provo-Orem area at seventh.
The city of Orem was ranked the 20th-safest city in the nation of those with a population of at least 75,000.
The rankings are based on the amount of violent crimes, such as murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, and property crimes, such as burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.
Some organizations caution against relying on rankings using crime rate data because of the many variables that affect crime rates, such as population density and economic conditions. The rankings are still useful, though, according to Asst. Chief Jeff Curtis of the Logan Police Department.
We're really trying to focus on our theft rate. Residential and auto burglaries, property theft - those are probably the biggest things we're battling right now.
–Jeff Curtis
"There are variables involved with everything, of course, but these rankings are helpful," he said. "They give you a little bit of an idea of where you're at, and whether the programs you're doing are working. It appears as though ours are."
Curtis attributed the Logan area's low crime rates in part to a mixed effort by the police department and local residents.
"We have a great working relationship with various organizations throughout the community, as well as our citizens, and that helps us," he said. "People in our valley aren't afraid to report crime, and we've been working on educating people so they know what they should and should not report."
"As a result, we are able to deal with the crime we have in a very efficient way."
Curtis said the police department partners with schools, parking organizations and city programs to educate citizens on how to prevent being victims of crime, especially in an age of Internet fraud.
But despite all the opportunities for online crime, one of Logan's main concerns is still a more traditional one: theft.
"We're really trying to focus on our theft rate," Curtis said. "Residential and auto burglaries, property theft - those are probably the biggest things we're battling right now."
