McALLEN — A financial website that analyzed the costs of crime across 300 different U.S. cities named McAllen the 15th safest in the country, McAllen city officials announced Tuesday.
“McAllen has once again been recognized as one of the top cities in America for its low crime rate, but this time, the ranking compares the direct economic costs of crime to individual victims, perpetrators, communities and society at large,” a city news release stated.
Money Geek, a financial website, analyzed crime statistics and applied research findings to estimate the cost of crime in cities with populations of more than 100,000.
Researchers took into account the number of violent crimes, such as murder, rape and aggravated assault, and property crimes, such as home burglary and motor vehicle theft, in their study.
But they didn’t stop there.
They also measured the various costs associated with the crimes, including the medical and mental health care needs of victims, damages to and loss of property, as well as the price for police protection and corrections.
MoneyGeek then calculated each city’s cost of crime and ranked the cities based on the cost per capita. McAllen, one of two Texas cities on the top 15 list, was estimated to have a $318 crime cost per capita. By comparison, Allen, Texas, which was ranked No. 5, has a crime cost of $176 per capita. And the safest city on the list, according to researchers, was Arlington, VA, with a cost of $132 per capita.
“This ranking of McAllen as a safe city, based on the cost of crime in our community, is a testament to the hard work of our McAllen Police Department and all of our law enforcement agencies in our area, who work quickly and diligently to not only protect from and prevent crime, but also, to resolve crime when it happens,” McAllen Mayor Jim Darling said via the news release. “Additionally, this community pulls together to support and assist our police officers with tips and information, (which) also help to keep our community safe and keep the effects of crime at bay, as much as possible.”
The full report with detailed findings and methodology can be found at: https://www.moneygeek.com/living/safest-cities/
