Madison is the 14th safest city in Alabama, as ranked by National Council for Home Safety and Security. CONTRIBUTED

MADISON – The National Council for Home Safety and Security has named Madison as one of the safest cities in Alabama.

In the council’s 2017 list of safest cities, Madison ranks 14th.

“We are extremely proud of our entire police department and the other public safety agencies that ensure our residents, business owners and visitors feel safe within Madison,” Mayor Paul Finley said.

“Police officer’s jobs across the country have become more dangerous. I appreciate what our men and women do hourly to keep us not only feeling safe, but being safe,” Finley said.

To identify Alabama’s safest cities, the National Council for Home Safety & and Security reviewed the most recent FBI Crime Report statistics, along with their own population data and internal research. The council eliminated any cities that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI and removed cities with populations less than 5,000.

Then, variables for violent and property crime rates were weighted and reformatted from crime per 100,000 to crime per 1,000 persons.

In conjunction with the national council’s announcement, Madison Police Department released its 2017 Annual Report. The police department publishes the report to document the department’s activities, keep citizens informed on the department’s status and to show the impact that the police department has on public safety. The report also states FBI crime statistics (cited previously in this article).

The annual report explains the structure, function and services that Madison Police Department offers. The report provides an objective, data-driven review of criminal activity, driving behaviors and the influence that Madison officers have in their work to reduce crime.

In addition, the annual report highlights some of the programs that the agency has developed to detect and deter crime, along those that foster relationships with a cross-section of the public. Examples of these programs include Text-to-Protect Tip Line, Kids’ Camp and the Police Reserve Program.

The 2016 Annual Report from Madison Police Department is available at https://www.madisonal.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9890.