This month the FBI released its annual report of crime statistics for 2005. While comparing communities in the metro-Detroit area with populations over 50,000, Canton ranks 1st having the lowest number of crimes per 1,000 residents.* Crime figures are further broken down into two categories: crimes against property (burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson), and violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault). Canton ranked 2nd for the lowest number of violent crimes, having only 1.7 victims per 1,000 residents, and was the lowest per capita in property crimes with 18 victims per 1,000 residents.

*See metro-Detroit community comparison  (file size 12k)

Earlier this week, Kansas-based research group Morgan Quitno Corporation ranked Canton as the 4th safest community in Michigan. The methodology used by Morgan Quitno involves a multi-step process. For communities with 75,000+ populations, Morgan Quitno uses the FBI's crime statistics for six crime categories (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft) and factors them into a formula that measures how a particular community compares to the national average for each crime category.

Canton continues to be one of the safest communities in the metro-Detroit area. Public Safety Director John Santomauro states, "Our police department continues to utilize a proactive model of policing that always has and will continue to be a partnership between the police department and all facets of our community."


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