Report: 3 east Idaho cities among “safest”

An internet website called “Safewise” reports three eastern Idaho cities are among the safest in Idaho.

Rexburg (1), Preston (3) and Rigby (5) were identified using 2016 FBI crime report statistics and population data.

The evaluation was based on the number of reported violent crimes, like aggravated assault, murder, rape and robbery against the calculated rate of crimes per 1,000 people in each city.

Rexburg, with a 2016 population of 28,112, reported .32 violent crimes per thousand people and 6.72 property crimes. It ranked as the “safest city in Idaho.” That calculates out to findings that 4.76 percent of all crime was violent and 95.24 percent was property related.

Preston, at 5,214 people, had a violent crime rate of 5.21 percent and 94.79 percent categorized as property crime.

Rigby ranked fifth in the state. With a population of 4,040, 7.02 percent of Rigby’s crime was described as violent and 92.98 percent as property related.

Meridian, with a population of 94,113, was the largest city to make the top ten list (7). Meridian had a 7.24 percent violent crime rate and 94.76 percent property-related.

The website’s complete list of “safe cities” are, in order: Rexburg, Moscow, Preston, Gooding, Rigby, Rathdrum, Meridian, Weiser, Buhl and Lewiston.