Round Rock ranks No. 4 safest among America's cities greater than 100,000 population

CQ Press has released City Crime Rankings 2009-2010: Crime in Metropolitan America, and Round Rock ranks fourth among U.S. cities 100,000 population or greater.

Round Rock is No. 1 among the 31 Texas cities population 100,000 or greater included in the rankings.

“We have come to expect good news this time of the year as these annual rankings are released,” Mayor Alan McGraw said. “What’s really remarkable this year is that we have moved up a spot even though we are the second fastest-growing city in the country and in the midst of a recession, both of which tend to increase crime rates. That speaks volumes about the fantastic job our Police Department has done in keeping Round Rock safe.”

The crime rate rankings of the cities and metropolitan areas are calculated using six crime categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft. Round Rock improved to No. 18 overall in this year’s survey, which includes cities with at least 75,000 population. Last year, it ranked No. 19 overall.

“Our City Council is committed to the highest standards of public safety, and that becomes more of a challenge as we have grown past 100,000 in population,” City Manager Jim Nuse said. “The improved ranking reflects what our citizen survey tells us, that folks feel safe here in Round Rock.”

In the 2008 City survey of 400 residents, 88 percent said they felt safe walking alone in their neighborhood at night.

“The men and women of the Round Rock Police Department take great pride in their jobs and are committed to providing outstanding service to the community,” Chief Bryan Williams said. “Credit for this ranking must be shared with the residents, neighborhood associations and businesses we partner with every day to keep Round Rock safe. We also know the ranking is the result of the support we receive from the City Council, other departments and, most importantly, the community.”

This marks the fifth consecutive year Round Rock ranks among the top 20 safest cities in the country. In 2005, Round Rock ranked No. 8. In 2006 and 2007, Round Rock was No. 13 in the survey.

The rankings include all cities of at least 75,000 residents that reported crime data to the FBI in the categories noted for calendar year 2008. In the most recent survey, 332 metropolitan areas and 393 cities were considered using statistics released by the Uniform Crime Reporting Program of the FBI in September 2009.