Chatham Twp. Ranked 22nd Safest Town In America

CHATHAM TWP., N.J. - Congratulations, Chatham Township: You’re one of the safest cities in all of America.

According to safewise.com’s annual rankings, Chatham Township came in 22nd overall in the category of towns with populations over 10,000 residents. Washington Township (Morris County) was the only New Jersey town to crack the top-20, and was joined by Chatham Township at number 22. Dozens more Garden State towns speckled the top 100. The full list can be seen here.

SafeWise is an independent company that specializes in home security reviews, comparisons, and advice for consumers to make the best decisions on how to protect their home.

The site’s methodology and ranking system came from Uniform Crime Report data for the full year of 2014.

“This little town isn't too far from the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge,” the site’s ranking said of Chatham Township. “With protected land nearby, it makes sense that Chatham Township has also dedicated a lot of its resources to protecting its own people. The local police department developed "10 Community Policing Districts," which provides people in those areas with programs like the Medicine Drop Box that gives people a place to safely dispose of unwanted medication.”

Chatham Township Mayor Curt Ritter said it’s a town-wide, ongoing effort to be consistently ranked among the best.

"We are pleased to once again be recognized as one of the safest towns in the United States,” Ritter told Patch. “This is a testament to the commitment of township officials, police and residents working together to ensure that Chatham Township remains one of the safest towns in America to live and raise a family. From our new Neighborhood Watch initiative, to Operation Reassurance, Community Policing and our annual National Night Out events, these programs highlight our commitment to ensuring the safety of our residents.”

According to the safewise.com data, Chatham Township slipped slightly from its last ranking of number 14 overall.

See the list of New Jersey towns tat made the top 100:

• Washington Township (Morris): 4
• Chatham Township: 22
• Hillsdale: 24
• Westwood: 28
• Sparta Township: 34
• Bergenfield: 38
• Branchburg Township: 39
• Clinton Township: 41
• Ridgefield: 42
• Woolwich Township: 45
• New Milford: 46
• Warren Township: 47
• Mahwah Township: 51
• Verona: 55
• Dumont: 56
• Florence Township: 57
• West Caldwell Township: 59
• Monroe Township: 61
• Wyckoff Township: 64
• Hasbrouck Heights: 66
• Montgomery Township: 67
• Ringwood: 69
• Bernards Township: 78
• Plainsboro Township: 79
• Hillsborough Township: 81
• Hopewell Township: 84
• Kinnelon: 89
• Glen Rock: 90
• Cedar Grove Township: 94
• Palisades Park: 97
• River Edge: 100