Island cracks the safe list

Published 2:30 pm Sunday, October 14, 2018

Bainbridge Island has been named one of the safest cities in Washington.

SafeWise, an online safety resource and consumer advocate, recently released its “20 Safest Cities in Washington 2018 Report.”

Bainbridge Island made the list at No. 18.

This year’s report was released Oct. 5. SafeWise analysts reviewed the most recent 2016 FBI crime statistics and population data, and made its evaluation on Washington’s safest places to live based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape and robbery) in each city per 1,000 people.

Cities that fell below identified population thresholds or failed to submit a complete FBI crime report were excluded from the ranking system.

Snoqualmie topped the list this year as the safest city in Washington.

Mercer Island was second, followed by Sammamish, Newcastle, Lynden, Camas, Sedro Woolley, Lake Forest Park, Liberty Lake and Mill Creek.

Rounding out the top 20 were Maple Valley (11), West Richland (12), Anacortes (13), Kirkland (14), Bellevue (15), Kenmore (16), Issaquah (17), Bainbridge Island (18), Mukilteo (19) and Bothell (20)

The report says Bainbridge, with a population of 23,998, has 1.08 violent crimes per 1,000 residents. The number of property crimes stands at 13.33 per 1,000. The total crime for the island is 8.13 percent violent, 91.87 percent property.

“In addition to beautiful scenery, a thriving music scene, and high quality of life, Washington earns kudos for its low rate of violent crime — which is 23 percent lower than the national average,” said SafeWise security analyst Alexia Chianis.

“Among the 20 safest cities in the state, violent crime was even less common,” she added. “In fact, of these cities, all but three reported fewer than one violent crime for every 1,000 people.”

The full rankings can be viewed at https://www.safewise.com/blog/safest-cities-washington/.