Poway moves up in safe-city rankings

The City of Poway was named the 16th safest city in California by Safewise, an organization that annually rates the 50 safest cities in states around the country. The 2016 ranking, which was announced on June 13, is a 10-spot jump up from No. 26 in 2015.

The 50 Safest Cities in California list is based on FBI crime data and population statistics. Only cities with 11,000 residents or more are evaluated. Final ratings evaluate reported crimes occurring per 1,000 people in each city, for both violent crimes and property crimes.

Poway was listed as having 1.41 violent crimes and 8.76 property crimes per 1,000 population. It was the only San Diego County city to make the list. This year’s safety city, according to Safewise, was Imperial, (population 14,758) with a violent crime rate of .30 and a property crime rate of 2.75.

Poway was named the safest city in San Diego County in a report released by the San Diego Association of Governments in March. It was based on 2015 FBI statistics that stated the city’s overall crime rate at 11.34 crimes per 1,000 residents.

“Public safety always has been, and always will be, the city’s top priority,” said Poway Mayor Steve Vaus. “But our top rank is only possible thanks to the dedication and hard work of our sheriff’s deputies. The men and women who wear the badge deserve all the credit.”

The complete Safewise list can be found here.