By Michael YEGHIAYAN

According to a recently released report from the FBI, Glendale is ranked among the safest cities in the country. In the Uniform Crime Report, Glendale was listed as the fifth safest city in California and the eighth safest city in the nation with a population over 100,000.

The Glendale Police Dept. attributed a number of enforcement strategies to the high ranking, as well as a strong relationship with city hall.

“This is significant when it comes to the service provided by the hardworking men and women of the Glendale Police Department,” stated Glendale Police Chief Ronald De Pompa. “What is more important are the strategies utilized by our personnel, the partnerships developed with our community through Area Command, the technology used to enhance our capabilities in preventing crime from occurring or apprehending offenders quickly and finally the support we receive from our City Council.”

The Area Command structure was implemented in October 2009 to improve community outreach with limited police resources. The city was divided into five geographic areas with specialized enforcement strategies for each area’s respective issues.

The newest ranking shows significant improvement in Glendale over recent years. The city improved two spots from 2011 when it was the seventh safest city in California. Nationally, Glendale moved up 12 spots after coming in as the 17th safest in 2010.

In addition to a strong ranking, Glendale showed marked improvement in crime reduction across the board. There were no reported homicides in Glendale and a 10% reduction in violent crime in 2012. There was also a 12% decrease in property crimes compared to the previous year.

Compared to the 10 safest cities nationally and in California, Glendale was one of four cities to report a decrease in crime and the only city in California to show a double-digit reduction.

  MICHAEL YEGHIAYAN