LITTLE ELM (CBSDFW.COM) - A newly released FBI
report has named Little Elm the safest city in Texas and the 18th safest
city in the nation, among all cities with a population over 25,000
people. The report, conducted in 2011, assessed cities in terms of the
number of violent and property crimes. Little Elm had the lowest number
of combined crimes among all Texas cities.
The list of analyzed crimes includes burglary, larceny theft, motor
vehicle theft, murder, forcible rape, armed robbery and aggravated
assault.
The report takes the total number of these crimes and compares it to a
city's population in order to develop a ranking. Little Elm received an
overall score of 84, meaning that it is safer than 84 percent of all
cities nationwide. Little Elm had just 14 violent crimes and 228
property crimes in the year of the report. It boasts a population of
more than 30,000 people.
"A number of factors play into our town's excellent results," said
the Little Elm Police Department's Chief Waylan Rhodes. "Certainly, the
pride that homeowners have in their neighborhoods is important,
resulting in reliable reporting of criminal or suspicious activity. Just
as important, though, our police force is composed of dedicated,
highly-trained personnel who strive to be at their best each and every
day. And, of course, the unqualified support and commitment the
department receives from the Town Council is essential to our success."
The city's police department staffs 36 full-time officers, three
reserve officers, three staff members, six jailers and two animal
control officers.
In addition to the police force, Rhodes pointed to neighborhood watch
programs and other crime prevention tactics for helping improve Little
Elm's safety rating. "The positive FBI report," Rhodes said, "gives us
the incentive to continue to develop these crime prevention programs and
ensure that we maintain and even improve our standing."
Little Elm, Texas
