Crime in Rexburg is among lowest in Idaho

Every year the FBI releases the uniform crime report. The UCR is a collection of all the crime reported to major law enforcement agencies across the country.

Eastern Idaho has a pretty low crime rate.

The UCR puts crime in two categories: violent crime and property crime. The odds of experiencing either type of crime in Pocatello, Blackfoot and Idaho Falls are pretty similar. And the chances are even lower in Rexburg.

According to criminologists, there are a bunch of reasons for this.

One of the reasons is the size, but not all small cities have a similar crime rate.

“So amongst the report you see Pocatello and Idaho Falls, Blackfoot, Rexburg. These larger cities in eastern Idaho they have different crime rates,” said Tiffany Jenson, a criminologist and professor at BYU Idaho.

Rexburg is among the lowest.

“Rexburg you could say ‘well you know, they’re a smaller city among the four, so they’re going to enjoy some lower crime rates for that reason,'” said Jenson.

But that’s not the only factor that plays into this. The climate in Eastern Idaho also brings down crime.

“We don’t go out and commit crime when it’s cold, so right when you’re looking out the window and you’re seeing it snow instead of begrudging the commute or the shoveling of the snow, you might want to take a second and be grateful to say that’s actually contributing to a safer community to me,” said Jenson.

And there’s another factor that’s really unique to Eastern Idaho and especially Rexburg.

“Research has told us that when you’re highly religious you also do not commit as much crime. So if you have a city that has a lot of highly religious people living together and adhering faithfully to that religion, you’re also going to enjoy lower crime rates,” Jenson said. “It’s the convergence of all these factors together in one little place, like Rexburg, that really puts crime at an all time low.”

Jenson said even though places like Rexburg have a low crime rate, it’s important to remember the crime rate is not zero. Crime still happens.