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RHPD: This is why Richmond Hill is ranked among safest in Georgia
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Two different reports released last week rank Richmond Hill among the safest cities in the state.

The National Council for Home Safety and Security ranks Richmond Hill as the seventh safest, while SafeWise ranked it at No. 31.

Both reports used the FBI Uniform Crime Report 2016 data, the most recent year for which complete information is available.

The Richmond Hill Police Department attributes the rankings to a combination of diligence and law-abiding residents.

“Our patrol officers do a great job and are very visible in the community,” said Lt. Brad Sykes, who oversees training for the department. “Visitors getting off I-95 or coming from other counties see our vehicles out and about and it serves as a good deterrent.”

Sykes said those who live in Richmond Hill also do their part.

“We have a number of very good HOAs and neighborhood watch groups that keep an eye out for their neighbors,” he said. “They know what to look for and what to report.”

The cities were ranked based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape and robbery) and property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft) per 1,000 people.

Richmond Hill’s ranking is higher in the NCHSS report because those variables were then weighted, with violent crimes assigned a value 1.5 times (due to their severity) that of property crimes.

For 2016, the city had 22 violent crimes, or 1.76 per 1,000 residents, and 225 property crimes, or almost 18 per 1,000 residents.

The two reports can be read at https://www.safewise.com/blog/safest-cities-georgia/ and https://www.alarms.org/safest-cities-in-georgia-2018/.

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