For Immediate Release – July 29, 2019
MIDDLETOWN, NJ – Middletown, NJ has been named the #1 safest small city in New Jersey and 7th in the nation for 2019, according to The Top 50 Safest Small Cities in America, a new report from Frontpoint Security.
Frontpoint looked at how many property crimes were reported per 1,000 residents in cities with 50,000 - 75,000 residents and ranked four New Jersey cities in the top 10, with Middletown claiming the top spot.
Using 2017 FBI property crime statistics, Frontpoint determined Middletown the 7th safest city in America with a property crime rate of 7.61 per 1,000 residents. This covers burglaries, larceny-thefts and motor vehicle thefts.
“I couldn’t be more proud that Middletown is continually recognized as one of the safest places to live, not only in the Garden Sate, but also across the country,” said Mayor Tony Perry. “The men and women of our world-class Police Department are extremely proactive about targeting crime and working with the community to address any issues the town may face.”
On Tuesday, August 6th the Middletown Township Police Department will be hosting its third annual National Night Out, an annual campaign that promotes police-community partnerships. This free event will be held at Poricy Park from 5-8 PM and will have live music, fingerprinting, K-9 demonstrations, police equipment displays, an impaired driving simulator, a dunk tank, face painting, giveaways and more.
“Our Department works diligently to keep Middletown one of the safest places to live in the U.S.,” said Police Chief Craig Weber. “This most recent accolade is a credit to the professionalism of our well-trained officers as well as the community’s support towards public safety.”
The MTPD offers a number of community programs, including child safety seat installations, Police Youth Week camps, Project Plus, Rude Awakening and the Law Enforcement Against Drugs program which utilizes The Too Good for Drugs curriculum in the Township’s elementary schools.
The Department has also been recognized by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) for being one of only 36 agencies nationwide to complete the Missing Kids Readiness Project. In addition, the Department focuses resources on preventing and solving crimes, including a designated anti-crime unit to address and respond more quickly to illegal activity.
Crime has dropped for the seventh consecutive year, with index crimes down 13 percent over the last year and 48 percent compared to 2010.
The Frontpoint Security ranking is the latest in a growing list of awards the community has received. Middletown was also recently named the safest city in New Jersey by the National Council for Home Safety and Security and deemed one of the top 10 safest places to raise a child in the United States by Safewise’s report, The 30 Safest Cities to Raise a Child in America. Middletown has also been voted one of the “Best Places to Live” by MONEY Magazine four times and ranked as one of the safest towns nationwide to retire in by badcredit.org, a financial awareness website.
Click HERE for the full list of the Top 50 Safest Small Cities in America.
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