Crime & Safety

Publisher Names Troy 'Safest City in Michigan'

CQ Press has released their “City Crime Rankings 2014: Crime in Metropolitan America:” (http://os.cqpress.com/citycrime/2013/cc2014.htm). Troy is ranked as the 1st overall safest city in Michigan and 35th overall safest city in America (regardless of population size). Making this designation more significant is Troy’s proximity to more dangerous areas.

Michigan’s overall safest rankings in the top 100 (regardless of population size) in America included:

  • 35th  - Troy
    44th  – Farmington Hills
  • 61st  – Sterling Heights
  • 89th  – Livonia
  • 94th  – Ann Arbor

Last year Troy was ranked as the 3rd safest city overall in Michigan and 2nd with population size of 75,000-99,999.

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CQ Press uses six crime categories to establish crime rate rankings for all cities with a population of at least 75,000 that report crime data to the FBI.  The crime categories include:  murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft.  The rankings in the CQ report are based upon data reported to the FBI for 2012. 

Troy has now ranked as the safest city in Michigan overall in 12 of the last 17 ranking periods! Troy has achieved “Safest City” rankings as high as 5th and 6th overall in the United States, in 2006 and 2005, respectively. Troy has consistently ranked among the top 25 safest cities in the United States with populations over 75,000 since 1998. 

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Incidents of violent crime, which include murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, are extremely low. In 2012, there were only 59 violent crimes reported to the Troy Police Department, which represents less than 3.3% of the total FBI statistical crime reporting in Troy. 

  • Murder: 2
  • Rapes: 11
  • Robberies: 14
  • Aggravated Assault: 32

It should be noted that although 11 acts of criminal sexual conduct that occurred in Troy are classified as “rapes” in the FBI statistics, these types of assaults in Troy do not usually involve a victim being attacked by a stranger.  There were no forcible rapes involving a stranger assaulting an unknown victim in 2012. Acts of criminal sexual conduct in Troy generally relate to incidents where one of the actors is a minor, complaints where incest or molestation by family members are alleged, or complaints of non-consensual acts between individuals who are acquainted with one another.

The Troy Police Department responded to a total of 34,286 incidents of all types in 2012. The Troy Dispatch center received approximately 143,000 incoming telephone calls in 2012, of which 40,731 were 911 calls. The department hosted 182 crime prevention and other safety programs in 2012, which were attended by 12,967 citizens. Additional workload statistics for 2012 are noted below:

  • Arrests: 2,684 (389 drunk driving)
  • Criminal Cases Investigated: 1,729
  • Traffic Crashes: 3,457
  • Traffic Citations: 11,326 (7,385 crash causing hazardous violations)

This “Safest City” ranking represents an ongoing and significant achievement not only for the Troy Police Department, but for the community in general.  It is a tribute to the residents; an excellent school system; strong prevention programs such as those provided by the Troy Community Coalition, Boys and Girls Club, Troy Families for Safe Homes, Troy Youth Assistance, and many others; an effective District Court; and an active business community. The current ranking for the lowest crime rates in Michigan reinforces the high quality of life that is offered in Troy. The Troy Police Department is dedicated to continuing to work with the community we serve, as well as City Management and City Government to assure this city remains a safe and attractive place to live, work and play.

In commenting on the latest ranking, Troy Police Chief Gary Mayer spoke about the dedication and quality of the employees of the Troy Police Department along with the commitment to public safety this community has consistently sought to maintain. The Chief stated:

“The Troy Police Department is made up of professional men and women who work hard to identify and solve problems. We have hired great people who are committed to community service and problem solving. We have also utilized a great number of volunteers to reduce the workload upon our officers.  These volunteers work as our eyes and ears through our Citizens on Patrol (COP) and within our department as lobby attendants and with our Investigative Section.  We have also utilized strategically placed part-time employees to reduce officer and investigator’s workloads at both our front public lobby desk and within the department.”

City Manager Mr. Brian Kischnick also reinforced the top safety ranking as a significant accomplishment. Mr. Kischnick stated:

“The Troy City Council and residents of Troy have always valued public safety.  I am extremely proud of the Troy Police Department and all those that work with them in our community to make Troy a great place to live, work, shop and raise a family. The challenge is to maintain this safe community given the new fiscal realities. I am confident we will continue to rise to the challenge to remain one of the premier places to have a home and do business in the United States.”

Source: Troy Police Department


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